Purpose, a Gift Forged in the Hardship of Prison

Many people are busy this time of year, rushing around, trying to finish last minute shopping and cooking for Christmas. Yes, inflation might make people tighten their belts a little bit, but Christmas will go on. 

But for some people this year, Christmas will be a little sadder than normal. One of the places at the Christmas dinner table will be empty, and one of the stockings over the fireplace will remain untouched. I'm talking about families with a loved one in prison this year. 

I know it's hard. Trust me. I've lived through 14 Christmases in prison now. My family has been on the other side, with me away all this time. I truly get it. 

So, on the behalf of all of us knuckleheads who worked our way into prison, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you have to experience this loss too. But I also want to leave you with hope. Incarceration does not have to be the end. It does not have to be one's final identity, even if one never leaves prison. Even behind these razor wire fences, hope is alive. Hope is the fertile soil in which purpose grows, and every one of us can find purpose, even in the hardship of prison. 

It's not much I offer you, but I long for this seed of hope to inspire in you the will to hold fast and to find joy, even in the midst of heartache. 

Merry Christmas to all the loved ones of incarcerated people. You who love us through our worst of times are one of the greatest gifts we could ever have. 

May God richly bless you this holiday season!