December. A month of mixed feelings. A month of reflection. A month filled with memories.
I remember Christmases of my childhood, my grandparents making it as magical as possible, no matter what they had been through the whole year. I now know how hard that must have been. I am grateful for their efforts, I miss them dearly. I wish they knew. I hope they knew. I was a silent child, reading and drawing most of the time. I had my own little world that I built after losing my father when I was still a baby.
December. A month of thinking about my friends.
Near and far. Hoping they are all well. Wishing them to have something nice to unwrap under the tree or have a family to go to where there is a tree.
To all of you - I hope you find joy and peace. I miss you too. Just so you know.
December. A month where I desperately wish for snow.
It calms me. It soothes and covers all the pain that I haven’t invited, but came all through the year. The white bandage that cools all sores and turns the chaos inside me down. Mutes it like a blanket. A very thick blanket. I look at the weather forecast and if it says there’s a chance of snowfall at 3 am, I stay awake with my coat, scarf and gloves prepared. That's how much I love snow.
December. A month that rips off another year from our calendars. A full stop. A dot that marks a year-long sentence.
Think about your sentence. I know, it’s a long one. A challenging one. But each and every one of you should be proud of this sentence. You wrote it. And soon there’s a chance to start a new one. On paper, fresh and white as the snow I love so much.
Find something that brings you joy and do it this month. Fit it into this year. I will write to you every day as a little gift. It’s my present to all of you, my advent calendar filled with words. May it spark thoughts or just be a little companion while you drink something warm. Why? Because that's my source of joy. Sharing. Because I believe in it and I have my words neatly stacked up in my head - waiting to be written.
With love,
Melinda