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I Slept With My Mother When I Was 16—& I Have Good Reason for Letting My Kids Do the Same

"I’m sure it was the first time we had touched in months, maybe years. Sometimes I think that hand saved my life."

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Tommy and Virginia Stevens, both 91, were, in the eyes of their family and friends, a legendary couple. The Tennessee high school sweethearts proved earlier this month that their love truly endured until "death do us part."

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Why We Stopped Going House to House for the Holidays

When we were first married, the holidays were a really stressful time for us. We went to 5 different Christmases at 5 different houses.

We wanted to spend as much time as we could with our family, and we didn’t want to disappoint anyone, so we made it happen.

We were trying our best, but as soon we had to leave somewhere, there was always at least one comment that made us feel guilty.

We knew that they intended well and we truly are thankful that our family loves us enough to want us around.

But we would still leave the house feeling so discouraged because, in reality, Jesse and I had spent absolutely no time alone together; we were simply trying to accommodate everyone else.

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Then we hit a turning point.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. Our son Sutton was 1-1/2 years old and we rushed home a ridiculous number of times to pick up food and gifts to take to the next house. And then the next house. And then the next.

Jesse decided on our final trip home that night that he pretty much despised the holidays and it made me so sad. He had always loved and looked forward to them when we were dating.

We were stressed out with each other and far from ‘merry.’

Lindsey Maestas
Lindsey Maestas
Lindsey Maestas is a Christian based out of Albuquerque, NM. She is a wife to an incredible and loving husband and a stay-at-home-mom to the happiest, most-energetic little boy, Sutton Rylee. She received her degree in Journalism and is a writer for the faith-based lifestyle blog, sparrowsandlily.com

I Slept With My Mother When I Was 16—& I Have Good Reason for Letting My Kids Do the Same

"I’m sure it was the first time we had touched in months, maybe years. Sometimes I think that hand saved my life."

Married 69 Years, Hospitalized Couple Holds Hands Til the Very End

Tommy and Virginia Stevens, both 91, were, in the eyes of their family and friends, a legendary couple. The Tennessee high school sweethearts proved earlier this month that their love truly endured until "death do us part."

Jill Duggar Says Dad Pitted Siblings Against One Another, Used Kids to Manipulate and Intimidate Her

I am currently reading Jill Duggar Dillard's memoir Counting the Cost about her life growing up in the 19 Kids and Counting Duggar family, and it is both riveting and heartbreaking.