Hey friend,

As the year comes to a close, I keep thinking about one of my favorite New Year traditions.

I love creating a charcuterie table with fondue dips. It is simple and creative and slow. Food laid out beautifully. Everyone gathering and grazing. No rush to clean up. No pressure to perform.

Just presence.

I have come to believe that one of the most regulating things we can do during the holidays is create memories and actually be in them. It helps our nervous system settle in ways we do not always realize in the moment.

It also does not hurt to get creative. To use our hands. To explore hobbies. To develop parts of ourselves that are not about productivity or survival.

Last year, I almost skipped this tradition.

I was only a few months postpartum. I had recently gone through emergent surgery and was struggling physically and emotionally. My body felt weak. My emotions felt close to the surface. I questioned whether I had it in me to do something that, on the outside, looked unnecessary.

And then I decided to do it anyway.

Not for anyone else.
​For me.

I realized I needed the creativity. I needed something grounding. I needed to choose a moment of beauty and intention when everything in my body had felt like it was in recovery mode for far too long.

That table gave my mind something gentle to focus on.
It gave my body a sense of agency again.
And it created a positive, steady memory for my kids.

Sometimes care does not look like rest.
Sometimes it looks like choosing yourself in a small, meaningful way.

As we step into a new year, I hope you give yourself permission to create moments that support you. Moments that feel steady. Moments that remind your body it is safe to be here.

And if you ever find yourself in need of a New Year gathering, I will be the one who made far too much food. I always do.

Wishing you a gentle close to this year and a grounded beginning to the next.

With warmth,
Kimberlie