This holiday season, it’s OK to want more. Paula grew up in foster care, and year after year she would find herself “clobbered by desire” when the holidays rolled around. She longed for a mother and father to rescue her and “make everything better”; she wished for the hip-huggers and games she saw on TV. When she was 21, she met a man named Jeff who ruptured this annual cycle of desire. He became the inspiration for a hard-earned Christmas lesson. Featured stories:“The Holiday of My Dreams Was Just That,” by Paula McLain“A Sweet Reminder,” by Meg Christman Paula's story was recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. You can find more information on today's episode here.
[music]
Miya Lee: Hello.
Meg Christman: Hey.
Miya Lee: OK. So if you could just read it and, yeah, it's a really nice piece.
Meg Christman: Cool. Oh, thank you.
Yeah, OK. I'm going to try it.
Miya Lee: OK.
Meg Christman: Cool.
[music]
Meg Christman: 'We broke up all over New York City.
No one block could see us through.
I saw our split coming on Astor Place and on Greenpoint Avenue.
One night, we cried until our eyes were raw
on the steps of an empty storefront in Williamsburg.
The end was near, we knew.
A few years and many failed first dates later,
I noticed a frozen yogurt shop had moved into that empty storefront.
So up the stairs, I crossed the threshold of our heartbreak
and I savored all of those flavors inside.
It was a sweet reminder of love,