Don’t forget to
tie up the year
into a pretty little bow.

I’m not suggesting
you gloss over
the lows.

Rather, I want you to consider
doing yourself a big favor
by remembering
the little moments
that brought you levity and brightness.

It’s within the recall
where you’ll finally find
what it all means.

Throughout the year
you are gathering moments
like picking up sticks from the ground.

You hold them
not knowing exactly why
or where they came from.

All you know is that you can’t just set them down. Not yet.

And by December
they feel heavy and more than awkward piled up in your arms.

Now is your opportunity
to place all the branches down.
Give yourself a break because
scattered in front of you
are the building blocks for authenticity and joy.

What do you see?
Did you gather enough wood to make a fort?
A shed?
A bow?
Or maybe there’s just enough to start the foundation for something more solid next year.

It’s up to you
to sit with
and find meaning
in your stockpile this season.

As I stare into the fireplace this morning
flames dancing
I’m doing just that.

Remembering
Appreciating
Figuring out what I’ve been channeling.

It’s not clear to me in this moment
what shape or size my structure will be
but
I will say
I’ve never considered building anything like it before.