We’d like you to fill in the blank.

Maybe it’s the first Christmas after losing a job or a loved one, after divorce, a return from the front lines, after having a baby, adopting a child or reaching a milestone. We’re looking for readers’ stories on their first Christmas after (blank) and how it’s helped shape the meaning of this holiday season. Please send up to 250 words to staff writer Kathryn Skelton at [email protected] or Sun Journal, ATTN: First Christmas, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, Maine 04243 by Dec. 12. Please include your name, hometown and contact information. Thanks.