This holiday season is going to look vastly different for many, if not all of us. We will be isolated or in much smaller gatherings than we’re used to and that might really hinder the way we celebrate, in my opinion, the best time of year. Growing up, Thanksgiving and Christmas were times where we would pack into some family member’s house, literally, by the dozens, and fight over who would get to sleep next to our grandpa on the pull-out couch. These days, no one gets to sleep next to grandpa for fear of getting him sick. We want and need grandpa to be around for many more holiday seasons so that means a bit of sacrifice for this holiday and maybe even the next one. On the bright side, something that we don’t have to sacrifice is the warmth that comes with and from the holiday season.
For some of us, nothing will change. We don’t have a big family or even any at all. For others of us, we’ll celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or no holiday at all. No matter what, we will have to find a way to exist in a time where things will be different. We will have to find a way to create that feeling of warmth and happiness where it might not be this year. To do that, I encourage you to dig deep, reflect on what went well this year, how people showed up for you in unexpected ways, and how you showed up for yourself. Take a moment and create some space for yourself and those memories that mean the most to you. Those memories that you can’t seem to tuck far enough away. Those moments that sneak up on you and put a smile on your face. Considering those moments, this seasons candles are all about those things that we are either trying to do more of or feeling really down about missing out on.
Treat yourself to the smells of the holiday, the warmth that comes from comfort and familiarity, and the assurance that tomorrow may look a little different but we are all in this thing together.