Counterfactual thinking can help eflect on past decisions, recognize unmet needs, and identify possibilities.

Valuing relationships doesn't mean we can't acknowledge personal ambitions or opportunities we've set aside.

We can use reflections of the past to make meaningful changes in the present.

As I approach my 50th birthday, I notice myself reflecting more on the what-ifs. What if I had chosen a different major, pursued another career, or moved to a different city? Who might I be now? These questions can feel scary or uncomfortable to ask, especially if different choices would impact our closest relationships. We may love the people in our lives and still reflect on a life we might have lived or wonder about the possibilities of different realities. Would we have been happier if we had chosen differently?

This tension is the focus of What If Christmas. This movie asks viewers to consider how minor or major decisions might have changed the direction of their lives. In other words, What If?

Erin (Lori Loughlin) has always supported the career of her husband, Adam (Tom Cavanagh), a heart surgeon. Each year, she organizes his hospital’s Christmas charity gala, which gives her a sense of accomplishment and purpose. When Adam moves to another hospital, however, Erin’s planning and expertise is no longer needed.

Without that role, she increasingly regrets having given up her career in fashion design to support Adam’s. She wonders what would have happened had she pursued her career ambitions instead of setting them aside for her........

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