Finding Beauty in the Unexpected: A Different Kind of Christmas
May this holiday season be filled with love, joy, laughter, and beauty. This Christmas has been different than any other for me — and perhaps it has been for you too. In years past, I would usually travel home to be with my mama for the holidays. This year, instead, she is here with me in my apartment in Santa Fe. As many of you know, my mama has been living with me for the past three months, and it has been one of the most dynamic, stretching, and transformative seasons of my life.
From Burden to Blesssing
It’s interesting how sometimes the hardest experiences can also be the most healing. The burdens can actually be blessings in disguise. When we open and learn to accept what is, we open to the magic of the moment. This time together has challenged us both in ways I could never have anticipated, yet it has also been deeply meaningful and profoundly special. While this Christmas didn’t look the way either of us expected, we are meeting the moment as it is — learning to soften into faith, trust, and acceptance rather than resisting what’s unfolding.
Creating Meaning in the Midst of It All
Neither my mama nor I have had a Christmas tree in the past three years, as we chose to keep the holidays simpler while navigating her health journey. This year, however, dear friends surprised us by going out and finding us a tree. It may seem like a small gesture, but it meant everything. Decorating it together, creating new rituals, and allowing ourselves to experience joy in a different way felt incredibly tender and grounding. One evening, we went for a drive through town to see the luminarias and Christmas lights glowing softly in the night. It felt like magic — the quiet kind that settles into your bones.
In these moments, I’ve been reminded of something essential: life is not meant to be postponed until circumstances are perfect. The essence of living is learning to find beauty, gratitude, and meaning even in the midst of heartache and pain. This is the human experience. We get to hold both.
Holding Duality with Grace
We are all being stretched in our own ways — invited to grow, to rise, and to become who we are meant to be. The holidays often amplify this duality: joy and grief, gratitude and longing, celebration and tenderness existing side by side. My wish for you is that you allow yourself to experience it all. May you feel the magic, love, gratitude, and beauty that are available to us even in the most imperfect moments. There is so much wisdom and grace in learning how to be present with what is, rather than waiting for life to look a certain way before allowing ourselves to feel alive.
May this holiday remind you that even when things look different than expected, there is always room for love, connection, and beauty.
