Here we are again.

The latter part of the year, the Holiday Season. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, and the end of Ramadan.

Many things to celebrate, in many different ways. And, of course, every business is vying for every dollar that you might be able to scrape together to buy all the things.

Television ads are showing you what you NEED to make your holidays the MOST MAGICAL EVER! Social media is flooding your screen with recipes, crafts, lovely sayings, heartfelt (pfffttt) words of love and encouragement. Not to mention discussions of increased alcohol consumption to get through the next few weeks.

None of this is a surprise. It happens every year. Only the names have been changed, and not to protect the innocent….there are no innocents here. We need this time of year. We need to feel closeness, community, love. So many…..things…in our society try to separate us.

I, taking a look at myself in the mirror, ask that I, you, we….take this time of year at face value. A time to come closer. A time to heal. A time to laugh. To feel joy. Not to lessen the pain of those we have lost, but to honor their memories with the love we had for them.

Be kind to yourself, and kind to one another.

We all need it.