Before the Holidays Begin: A Moment to Breathe
The holidays are starting to show up — in store windows, on calendars, in conversations.
There’s a gentle hum in the air right now, the kind that says things are about to get busy.
But before the season fully arrives, this week offers a small, quiet pause.
A breath. A moment to ground yourself before the swirl begins.
This time of year holds a lot
The holiday season tends to gather everything at once — excitement, plans, pressure, memories, expectations, hopes, and sometimes old emotions we didn’t expect to bump into.
It’s completely normal to feel a mix of things.
You might be looking forward to certain moments…and feeling unsure about others.
You might feel grateful…and also overwhelmed.
You might feel connected…and a little alone.
This season has a way of pulling on many threads at the same time.
And for some, this season brings a “first.”
A first holiday without someone they love.
A first December where familiar traditions feel different.
A dear friend of mine is entering her first Christmas without her husband of 35 years.
It’s a season that will hold joy — but also moments that bring unexpected emotion.
I remember my own first December after my mum died — she passed just six weeks earlier.
I burst into tears in the grocery store one afternoon, right between the shelves of holiday baking supplies.
It wasn’t the holiday season I’d known before, and it wasn’t one I’d ever have again.
But I learned something important: When emotions arise, it’s okay to let them arise.
At home, in the car, in a checkout line, on a beach — wherever they find you.
Grief, love, memory, longing… they all belong.
A gentle invitation: check in with yourself
Before everything speeds up, it can help to take a quiet moment to notice what you’re carrying.
Not to analyze it.
Not to judge it.
Just to notice.
Here are a few soft questions to sit with this week:
What’s taking up space in me right now?
What do I need a little more of?
What expectation could I soften?
Where can I make things just 10% easier?
Tiny shifts now can change the tone of the next six weeks.
You don’t have to hold everything alone
Sometimes the relief comes simply from speaking things out loud — from letting the thoughts in your head land in a safe, steady space.
A space where you feel heard, not hurried.
A space where you can sort through what’s yours to carry and what you might be able to set down.
Talking things through can bring clarity in ways that trying to “hold it all” never does.
As we move toward Thanksgiving
Next week, I’ll be sharing a reflection on gratitude — not the performative kind, but the quiet, real kind that meets you where you are.
But for now, I hope you give yourself permission to pause.
To breathe.
To feel your feet on the ground.
The holiday season will unfold soon enough.
Today, this moment is yours.
If this stirred something in you, or if you're carrying more than you want to carry alone… I’m here.