Despondent folks meet for Blue Christmas

Cari Banks, a widow of three months, has just one wish this Christmas: “Please, let it be over.” On Sunday, she and close to 60 others who feel like islands of sadness in an ocean of merriment gathered for a Blue Christmas service at the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living. Most mourned a loved one, but others came because they’ve lost jobs or have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses. They sang traditional carols and heard scripture readings about the birth of Jesus Christ, but they also he...