Dear December,
You mark the end of a long year. So much has happened and so much has changed in ways I can't express on paper. Last year at this exact time, I had no idea that the year ahead of me would include so much of what it did. This year involved countless laughs, unexpected surprises and positive moments that I will never forget. Regardless, the year was not always perfect, for there were many times that I wasn't sure if I would find the light at the end of the tunnel or drive to keep trying. What keeps me going, however, is that you always lead to a new beginning. And very often, more often than most, that beginning marks something really beautiful.
You are to a time to look back, yet to appreciate. You have always been my favorite month since you revolve around spending time with family and other loved ones, incredible food options, and the joy of holiday cheer. No matter what holiday individuals may celebrate or what traditions they may follow, you provide a time for people to come together, reflect and hope for all that to come. As you approach us, I cannot express how much I am looking forward to all that you offer us this month, including:
- The first snowfall
- Seeing family and friends who you haven't seen in a while
- Christmas songs, and the incredible feeling you get while singing them
- Cuddling
- The way your hands feel when you hold a warm mug of hot chocolate
- Starbucks' holiday drinks
- Skiing
- Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanza- whatever you may celebrate
- Coziness
- Watching children play in the snow
- Snowflakes
- Oversized sweaters
- Christmas/Winter Themed Socks
- Holiday cookies
- Scarves, hats, and gloves
- Snowmen
- The beautiful decorations and lights that cover houses
- Peppermint, pumpkin, and apple everything
- Ice Skating
- Witnessing holiday traditions
- Seeing menorahs and candles in house windows
- Fireplaces
- Making (and eating) gingerbread houses
- Snow days
- Hibernating in your bed and watching Netflix
- Holiday sales
- Layering your outfits
- Seeing your breath when you breathe outside
- Candles
- Sledding
- Holiday cards and crafts
- Decorating cookies and cakes
- Being surrounded by the holiday spirit
- Dreidels, Christmas Trees, and Kinaras
- Hot tea
- Break
- Giving and receiving gifts
- Mistletoe
- The new year ahead
Most importantly, you are a time to close the doors on anything that didn't go our way during the current year. It is a time for positive change, new aspirations and goals. You are a perfect transition for us to change from a version of ourselves that we may not be the proudest of, to someone new, happier and more confident for what lies ahead.
So most of all December, thank you for being the bridge that leads to the better me.