Christmas has a way of inviting us to slow down, even if just long enough to finish one more cookie.
To breathe.
To reflect.
To quietly negotiate with ourselves about whether a second helping is truly necessary.
This year, I’m deeply grateful, not for perfection, but for presence. For the lessons that stretched me, the people who walked beside me, and the gentle reminders that none of us is meant to do this whole life thing alone, even the stubborn ones among us.
If this season finds you joyful, tender, complicated, or hiding in the kitchen to avoid awkward conversations, know this, you’re doing just fine. Give yourself permission to rest, to laugh at the chaos, and to soften where you’ve been holding it all together with duct tape and good intentions.
Thank you for being part of this shared journey. It genuinely matters, even when we’re pretending we have it all figured out.
May your Christmas be filled with warmth, peace, real connection, and just enough mischief to keep things interesting.
With gratitude and a grin,
Neil
