Dear Readers,
This holiday season, I made the intentional decision to step back from posting new blogs. Not because I didn’t have words ready — I did. Blogs already written, drafts waiting to be shared. But the meaning wouldn’t have been the same if my heart wasn’t fully present and I was posting, to just post. And the holidays are always a magical time of the year – full of love and joy.
Instead, I chose to pause. To reflect. To embrace the holidays rather than rush through them with random content.
Some of you reading this may be facing your very first holiday season without your loved one. Others may be several years into this journey of grief. Wherever you are, this letter is for you — an invitation to slow down, to breathe, to embrace what is, and to cherish the moments that still exist.
Throughout the season, I found myself reflecting on what the holidays truly mean — the moments we often overlook, the memories quietly being created. So often we get caught up in the hustle and bustle: the shopping, the wrapping, the decorating, the endless to-do lists. In the process, we risk missing the joy — the magic — that lives in presence.
This year, I chose to stop saying yes to everything instead I started to say no. No to activities that didn’t bring joy. No to filling every moment. No to extra stress I didn’t need. I needed to stand still and quietly observe the world moving around me. I needed to practice gratitude. I needed to simply be — fully present in my children’s excitement, their Christmas wish lists, and the magic unfolding in real time. I won’t pretend it was easy.
There were moments when tears came unexpectedly — memories of holidays past with my husband when the kids were younger. I found myself wondering what the holidays would look like if he were still here. Would we be making hot cocoa together? Would we choose a real or fake Christmas tree? Where would we be living now? What traditions would we have created? What magic would we have built together?
And through those questions, a quiet realization settled in.
David is still present.
He is present at Christmas concerts and school events. He is present during holiday light excursions, decorating the tree, and baking cookies. He is present in my daughter’s dancing during her school Christmas concert. He is present in Lincoln’s curiosity as he searches for hidden presents under my bed and shakes the ones beneath the tree. He is present in Theo’s singing — loudly and unapologetically — like a rock star during his school concert.
He is present in their personalities.
He is present in their joy.
He is present in the memories we are still creating.
This holiday season, I hope you allow yourself to take a break — a break from tasks that steal joy and distance you from gratitude. Step back. Watch the snow fall. Breathe deeply. Recognize how fortunate you are to witness life continuing, even in its transformed shape.
This is a season for reflection — not for being trapped by expectations or overwhelmed by lists. Ask yourself: What brings me joy? How can I invite more of it into my life?
Now is the time to be present.
Now is the time to awaken your soul.
Now is the time to choose love, joy, and meaning — even in the midst of grief.
You are allowed to pause.
You are allowed to feel.
You are allowed to simply be.
Hope y’all have a blessed holiday and Merry Christmas!
Sending love and light,
Alison Covington
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