By A.L. Childers — the author who learned to glow anyway.
❄️ A Christmas Tale for Anyone Who Learned to Glow the Hard Way
It is a truth universally whispered—usually behind gloved hands at holiday gatherings—that the more a woman shines, the more shadows she casts.
Charles Dickens might have said it differently, of course. He’d lace it with soot, candle smoke, and the quiet scraping of ghosts past. But I, A.L. Childers, have lived enough winters to tell you plainly:
Light creates shadows.
And the brighter the soul, the darker the envy that gathers at its edges.
But oh… what a beautiful thing it is to shine anyway.
Imagine it: a warm Christmas streetlamp glowing against a bitter wind. The lamp doesn’t apologize for its glow. It doesn’t shrink when shadows stretch behind the feet of those who walk past. It doesn’t tremble when the snow falls harder, or when the darkness grows bolder.
It just does what it was born to do—
illuminate.
So do you.
So do I.
So does every woman who has crawled through a winter she didn’t think she’d survive.
🎄 The Shadows Always Arrive Before the Blessings
I learned long ago that shadows aren’t proof of failure—
they are evidence of illumination.
Every time I wrote a book that exposed truth (The Lies We Loved: How Advertising Invented America), someone felt the sting.
Every time I cracked open pain and rebuilt myself from the ashes, someone muttered that I was “too much.”
Every time I peeled back the curtain of power structures, propaganda, and hidden histories (The Hidden Empire, The Divide Machine ), another shadow stretched its long fingers across my path.
But darling…
shadows don’t form in the dark.
They form in your light.
If you cast a long shadow, it is only because you are standing tall.
🕯️ A Dickensian Reminder: Even Scrooge Needed a Ghost to Wake Him Up
Your glow may disturb someone’s slumber.
Your growth may unsettle their comfort.
Your becoming may haunt the people who preferred you small.
But Christmas—true Christmas—is not about hiding your light so others feel less cold. It’s about warmth, rebirth, and the quiet rebellion of refusing to stay buried.
In a world that profits from silence…
in a society shaped by advertising, fear, and the stories we were told to worship…
shining is a revolutionary act.
And if your brilliance wakes a few ghosts?
Good.
Some people need haunting.
🎁 Your Light is Your Gift — Don’t Wrap It in Apology
This season, I want you to do something bold:
Shine louder.
Shine wider.
Shine without shrinking.
Be the lamp in the snow that travelers seek when they’ve lost their way.
Be the warmth in a cold world.
Be the woman who refuses to dim so that others can stay comfortable in their shadows.
And if the shadows grow longer behind you?
Smile.
You’ve earned them.
⭐ Books by A.L. Childers That Celebrate Light, Truth, and Becoming
Here are a few of mine that walk this path of illumination—with all its shadows:
- The Lies We Loved: How Advertising Invented America — exposing the stories sold to us as truth.
- The Hidden Empire: A Journey Through Millennia of Oligarchic Rule — for readers unafraid of what lurks behind the curtain.
- Nightmare Legends: Monsters and Dark Tales of the Appalachian Region — proof that shadows can be stories too.
And many more at: amazon.com/author/alchilders
✍️ About the Author
A.L. Childers writes by candlelight and conviction, weaving truth and fiction with the same steady hand. Born in the quiet South and raised by storms, she has written over 200 books spanning history, horror, wellness, rebellion, and the ache of being human.
During the holidays, she believes in three things:
second chances, hot tea, and the unstoppable brilliance of a woman who refuses to dim.
⚖️ Disclaimer:
This blog reflects personal observations, creative storytelling, and opinion-based reflections by author A.L. Childers. It is not intended as legal, medical, or historical advice. All references to books and themes are part of the author’s published works and creative portfolio.
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