A Gentler Kind of Christmas

Happy holidays!

This past year has brought so much change for me and the homies. New routines, new rhythms, new realities… and with all of that, a new understanding of what truly matters.

One unexpected gift of this season has been learning the value of having less, spending less, doing less, and really simplifying our lives. When everything around you shifts, you start to see what remains steady:
the people, the memories, the love.

As a newly single mom, I want my girls to feel the magic of Christmas. I want them to look back and remember warmth, joy, and traditions that made them feel grounded and safe. But I’ve also learned to manage expectations — theirs and mine — because doing it all on my own is a lot.

So this year, I’ve been intentional.
When I pick up something from the shelf, I pause and ask myself:

• Does she really want this? Does she need it?

• What experience will this create for her? What memory will this hold?

• And honestly… what is this about for me?

That level of reflection has changed everything.
It’s kept me from overspending, overgiving, and overextending — the habits so many of us fall into because we want to compensate, impress, or prove that we can “do it all.”

But the truth is:
We were never meant to do it all.
And this season is not asking us to.

Many of us are natural givers. We pour and keep pouring. We stretch ourselves thin so the people we love never feel the weight we carry behind the scenes. But giving that depletes us — our wallets, our time, or our spirit — isn’t generosity. It’s exhaustion dressed in holiday wrapping paper.

And this season?
This season is actually about something deeper.
It’s about hope.
It’s about renewal.
It’s about God stepping into the world to remind us that we don’t have to save ourselves, fix everything ourselves, or carry everything alone.
It’s about love showing up in simple, quiet, unexpected ways.

So this December, I’m practicing:

• Giving with intention, not pressure

• Setting healthier expectations with my girls

• Allowing support without guilt or shame

• Creating magic that doesn’t require burnout

• Choosing connection over consumerism

Because when my girls look back, I know they won’t remember how many gifts were under the tree.
They’ll remember the laughter in the kitchen.
They’ll remember the hot cocoa after a long day.
They’ll remember dancing in the living room.
They’ll remember that mama slowed down enough to be present.

And I hope you give yourself permission to do the same.

Thank you for being part of this community — a community where we practice caring for ourselves as deeply as we care for everyone else.

Wishing you a December filled with gentleness, meaning, and support you don’t have to earn.