“Belonging in New Places”

“When old places and gatherings close, the heart does not have to close with it.”

You may not sit at the table you once knew.
But that doesn’t mean you are without a place.
Belonging can be rediscovered in surprising forms,
in a quiet morning with someone who loves you,
in a friend who says “come over,”
in a walk by the lake,
in a new ritual that feels more like freedom than loss.

When belonging shifts, it asks you to shift too.
To create, not cling.
To build, not beg.
To make room for the life that is becoming yours now.

Belonging is not a location,
it’s a light you learn
to carry in you.

Gentle Practice:
Choose one new ritual for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Let it be something small but meaningful.

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow, we look at the courage to make Christmas different without sadness sitting at a new table.

“Traditions That Don’t Break People”

“Traditions are supportive, they were never meant to break you.

Many families cling to rituals because “it’s what we’ve always done.” But people evolve. Finances change. Relationships shift. Energy levels rise and fall. A tradition that worked fifteen years ago may not be kind today. Renewal is not disrespect, it’s wisdom.

Reinventing the holidays doesn’t erase the past; it creates room for the present. Affordable games, shared dishes, heartfelt notes, gratitude jars, giving something you have (maybe even a sentimental family heirloom) to another person who loves it too. Share the gift of its presence and memories without its ownership but instead a loved memory, this helps change fear of loss and attachement to honor and appreciation and helps us to learn to release what is external and grow deeper internally. (this also requires you to let go of the expectation of what another does, it is a practice in giving fully.)

These honor everyone’s reality without demanding uniformity. Joy grows best where pressure dissolves.

Let tradition breathe,
let the seasons evolve.
Make space for new rituals
where every heart is solved.

Gentle practice:
Introduce one new tradition that feels lighter, simpler, or more inclusive this year.

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the freedom to celebrate differently, without explaining yourself.