Let’s be honest.
This time of year, it can feel like the whole world is yelling the same message at you
Buy this.
Upgrade that.
If you really care, you should look like this.
And somewhere inside, another part of you might be whispering
Is this actually what I want this season to be about?
If that whisper is there for you, you are not weird and you are not alone.
Today I want to sit with that part for a bit, and explore what it might look like to gently tilt this season away from stuff and toward experiences, connection, and presence.
Most of us know this feeling
You race around, you check things off the list, you wrap, you plan, you spend, you try to make it special.
For a moment, it works. There is a little buzz. Packages arrive. People are impressed. The tree looks full.
And then the wrapping paper is in the trash and the familiar questions drift back in
Do I matter?
Are we okay?
Am I fulfilled?
No sale or perfect gift can really answer those questions.
People do that. Shared moments do that. The feeling of someone actually showing up for you does that.
Stuff can be fun and beautiful. I love presents and am not anti-gift by any means. It’s just that it rarely reaches the places in us that we really want to reach.
If we look under all the noise of this season, most of us are not really craving more things. We are craving certain kinds of experiences.
Things like
Feeling truly connected, not just in the same room.
Having a conversation where someone listens all the way, and you feel your body relax a little.
Feeling like this time means something. That how you spent your energy lines up with your values, not just what you are being influenced by.
If we look under all the noise of this season, most of us are not really craving more things. We are craving certain kinds of experiences. Moments where you are not bracing or performing, you are simply here.
Feeling like you belong. Not because you did everything perfectly, but because you are you!
If you enjoy giving, please keep giving! The invitation is to let more of your gifts lead to shared time.
For instance, you might give:
A coffee or tea date with you, your treat and your full attention
Tickets to a local event you can go to together
A planned baking afternoon, or a paint night at home
For kids, a “you choose the activities” afternoon with you fully present
You are allowed to do this differently….start now!
