The New Year Stars...

Dear Readers,

The clock struck midnight, and the world erupted in cheers. Fireworks illuminated the sky, their vibrant colors reflected in the eyes of children everywhere. But I sat alone on a quiet hillside, far from the festivities, gazing at the stars. In my hand was a small notebook, worn from years of use, its pages filled with letters and poems I had written for my children Evan & Ivanka.

I hadn’t seen them in over 3 years.

The wound of their absence was a constant ache, a scar etched into my soul. I remembered their laughter, the way Evan’s eyes lit up when they built toy rockets together, and Ivanka giggled when they made pancakes that always seemed to burn a little. Those memories were both a comfort and a torment, reminders of a life I once had and lost to a wall of silence.

Their mother had turned them against me, spinning stories that made me a villain in their young minds. Parental alienation was a term I had come to know too well, though it was too sterile to capture the devastation it brought. It was a theft, not just of time, but of love, trust, and the bond I had once cherished.

Still, I refused to let bitterness define me. Tonight, I had come to write a New Year’s message for my children.

“My Dearest Evan & Ivanka,” I began, the words flowing onto the page with the ease of a love that had never faltered, “As the world celebrates the arrival of a new year, my heart celebrates you. I miss you more than words can ever say. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you, wonder how you’re growing, and pray that you’re happy.

Though we are apart, my love for you bridges every mile, every wall, every silence. I hope this year brings you laughter and joy, and that you never doubt how precious you are to me. One day, I hope we’ll find our way back to each other. Until then, I carry you in my heart.”

I paused, my pen trembling. The night was still, the kind of stillness that seemed to listen. I added:

“No one should ever have to suffer the pain of being torn from someone they love. If only the world understood how harmful it is to make a child choose sides, to fill their innocent hearts with anger instead of love. I promise you, Evan & Ivanka, that I will always be there for you. And I promise myself to forgive, even when it’s hard because love is stronger than anger. Happy New Year, my sweet stars.”

I looked up at the sky, where a meteor streaked across the darkness a fleeting but brilliant light. “That’s for you,” I whispered, imagining Evan & Ivanka looking at the same sky, seeing the same stars.

I thought of the lessons I wanted them to carry into life. “No matter what happens, always choose kindness,” I had told them once, during a quiet moment before bedtime. “It’s the strongest thing you can do.”

In a house far away, Evan sat on his bed, a letter in his hand. His mother had intercepted my previous attempts to reach them, but this one had found its way to him through a relative. Evan read his father’s words and felt a pang of something he hadn’t let himself feel for a long time love.

“Ivanka,” he called softly, holding the letter up. She joined him, and together they read the message. For the first time in years, the wall their mother had built around them began to crack.

The New Year arrived, and with it, a spark of hope. Though I didn’t know it yet, my words had reached my children, and their hearts were beginning to remember the father who had always loved them.

Parental alienation had stolen so much, but love had found a way to persist. And as the stars shone brightly above, I whispered a prayer, not just for myself and my children, but for every family torn apart by silence and misunderstanding.

“May no one have to suffer this pain,” I said. “May love and truth always prevail.”

And so, beneath the New Year stars, a father’s love carried on, a light unwavering in the darkest of nights.

Happy New Year 2025!!! 

God Bless You My Children…

God Bless Us All…

Jacob M