Joyeux Noël

For a few reasons, Christmas Day has landed a little sideways for me this year.

Yes, I'm okay. There’s joy. It's a gorgeous day, my coffee's been refilled one too many times, I've got a grumbly chihuahua underfoot, and a tree that’s still doing its brave, sparkly thing. I believe in being merry. I really do. Also, this season can be heavy right? Grief doesn’t check the calendar, bodies still hurt, and relationships are complicated. The year doesn’t magically resolve itself because we changed the date on the wall.

So, in the mindset of keeping balance, today I’m holding a both/and kind of Christmas. It's merry, in the sense of choosing softness where I can find it: a good meal, a quiet laugh with my husband, and a deep breath that actually reaches my ribs. It's gentle, in the sense of not demanding more joy than I can honestly give.

If this day is full for you, I’m so glad. If it’s thin and tender, you’re not doing it wrong. Take to heart that presence counts, rest counts, and surviving the year counts.

Wishing you moments of warmth, however they show up, for the rest of today.

Joyeux Noël!