Closing Out The Year With Gentle Rituals
Every December 27, I return to the same quiet ritual. I sit in the glow of the Christmas lights after the rush has passed and the house feels still again. There is always a hint of sadness in this moment. I am never quite ready to take the decorations down or let the season go.
This year, I moved through the holidays with more intention. I paid attention to my energy and my pace, and to how I wanted the season to feel rather than how full it was. Sitting here now, I ask myself a familiar question: how did I actually experience it?
For years, my year-end reflection felt a bit like a whirlwind recap. I would look back and ask myself what I actually managed to get done, almost like running a mental marathon through the past twelve months. It usually ended with the same thought: okay, I should probably get some goals set for next year. That approach worked for a long time. It gave me a sense of order after a busy year.
The funny thing is, I was chatting with my personal trainer, Logan Doiron from Beyond Fit, at the gym recently, and we talked about how even the fitness world has shifted. We all remember the January rush. The big “new year, new me” energy, followed by empty gyms a few weeks later. Logan shared that it is actually busier now in mid to late fall, filled with people who do not want to get caught up in goal-setting season at all. They simply want to show up consistently. That really resonated with me.
It made me realize that my reflection practice is shifting too.
Instead of only asking what I achieved, I am widening the lens. This year, in my 55th year, I am leaning into different questions. Questions that feel more honest to where I am now.
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What surprised me this year?
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What strengthened me?
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What did I protect?
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What deserves to be remembered as a success, even if only I saw it?
Earlier this year, I made a promise to myself to do one thing every month just for me. Sometimes it was something planned, and sometimes it was simply allowing space. That promise showed up in many ways.
❤️Time spent in community at a women’s retreat.
❤️Trips with people I love that brought ease and laughter.
❤️Learning something new through my Reiki course, which grounded me more deeply than I expected.
❤️The intention to create a memoir video for my family, a project close to my heart that I have gently moved into 2025, with plans to complete it in January 2026. I am deeply grateful to Darin at Foulkes Productions for helping bring that vision to life.
What stands out now is not how much I did, but how I felt while doing it. Some months were full. Some were quiet. But each one carried a choice to show up for myself with more care.
That is why this season felt steadier. Not slower, and certainly not perfect, but grounded. I was not trying to outrun the days. I was present for them.
So this year’s reflection looks a little different. Alongside the lessons and the letting go, I am making space to acknowledge what went well. To name the progress. To honour the quiet wins.
No resolutions.
No pressure.
Just noticing.
As we move into the new year, I hope you give yourself permission to reflect in a way that feels true to you. I will be here a little longer, lingering in the soft glow of the Christmas lights and soaking in these last days with everyone home.
Lots of love,
Marsha
