Heading into 2026
a reflection on celebration, cocooning, and honoring natural rhythms
This time of year always feels like a jumble of excitement, celebration, a little overwhelm, a little grief - lots of emotions. I’ve been both excited to spend time with my loved ones, and getting into the fun of decorating and cooking, and then really feeling a pull towards stillness and quiet. It’s an interesting juxtaposition. I find myself wanting to first celebrate the heck out of Christmas (we celebrate the 12 days of Christmas over here - my favorite is for Christmas Day itself to be busy and festive, and then for the subsequent 11 days to have a more quiet celebration of ease, sparkly lights, very low expectations, and fairly high cheese consumption), and then to cocoon. Maybe in front of a fire, definitely on a couch, with soft blankets, a pile of books, and hot coffee (or iced - I am a native New Englander after all). While I appreciate natural reflection points throughout the year, and consider the changing of the calendar year to be one of those times, I’m not feeling “get up and go” vibes in January - I’m feeling more like a dormant seed, wanting to stay underground for a while and gather energy. It’s not always feasible - there’s life stuff to do - but I’m treating it like a practice, carving out moments for this kind of rest wherever I can, as much as possible.
What I especially love is that when I’m quiet, I get more certainty about creative ideas. I’m really looking forward to developing some projects I began to get more clarity on during the last quarter of this year. And I want the way that I develop them to look different, to be slower and more ease-filled. To listen to my natural rhythms and also to make it the kind of work I don’t need to “power through”. I’m excellent at powering through, often to my own detriment; it’s not my ideal way of creating but it’s a behavior I’m most familiar with. So I want to develop some new habits, where I’m listening more to my body, where I’m learning how to create from a place of peace, of ease, of humor and lightness. This might take some practice, but it feels like a pretty fun assignment, to keep re-orienting towards my natural rhythms and to make a lot of space for play and laughter.
Thanks for being here ✨ Wishing you a beautiful new year filled with whatever energy you want to bring in.
The picture is of one of my favorite spots, just after sunrise:
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