I’ve Spent 25 Years Trying to Create the Perfect Christmas

But this holiday was never mine.

Illustration by my daughter (when she was 5)

I used to fantasize about Christmas the way children dream of unicorns and backyards made entirely from candy.

To a Jewish kid growing up in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood, Christmas seemed impossibly magical. I didn’t quite believe it was real (but, oh, how I wanted it for myself.)