Dear You: A Christmas Letter.

Dear You,   I hope your Christmas season has been absolutely beautiful in every way. I hope it's been full of all of your favorite things, full of the magical chaos of holiday hustle and bustle, and the magical stillness of peace and quiet. I hope that if it hasn't been the best season, you start today and make this the merriest week of all. 
I hope this week, you get to be surrounded by those who love you the most, in the ways no one else can. If that's not an option, I wish you lots of phone dates, group texts, and facetimes with hot cocoa. 
I hope that no matter where life has you celebrating this year, it is magical. 
I hope that this week, you do what you want to do. That you say "no thank you" to the pressures of others' expectations. That you say" boy, bye" to feeling guilty for your Christmas looking different than someone else's. Your cookies don't look pinterest-perfect? Bet they're still delicious. Your kids getting lots of gifts instead of the minimalist list of four floating around the internet? Girl, bring it. I hope you find the magical space of what works for you, and you celebrate in the ways that make you the happiest. 
I hope you keep a fire burning in your heart that remembers what all of this is about. I hope you slow down and savor it. I hope you meditate on it. I hope you read the Christmas story as if it is the first time you've ever read it. I hope you go above and beyond in throwing love all over your people.  I hope you allow yourself some wonder this Christmas. That, as this crazy year comes to a close, you allow yourself to believe there is still good in this world. That you allow yourself to believe there is still magic in the world. If there is any magic left to be found, it exists at Christmastime.
I hope you choose to be happy instead of stressed. I hope you remember that your people love you, and they are not worried about gifts. They understand that this year has been a little tough, and that your bank account isn't looking the best it's ever looked. That $5 gift you picked out for them is going to bring them so much joy, because it's from you. 
I hope that if Christmas is hard for you this year, you tell someone. That you pick up the phone and let someone into the darkness with you. I hope you give joy the effort. That you say no to isolation.  I hope every single hour brings small, unexpected joys. I hope you delight in the Christmas lights, in peppermint mocha coffee, in the laughter of little kids waiting to meet Santa. 
I hope your days are merry and bright, full of love and light and magic and cheesy movies and Christmas songs and eggnog and gingerbread. I hope you laugh at Will Ferrell parading around Central Park in yellow tights, that your heart swells when Linus reads the Christmas story, and that you plants seeds of wonder and magic that will bloom well into 2018.
I hope this Christmas is not a penny short of magical. That, years from now, when you look back on this year, you'll remember it as the very best. I hope you feel the happiest you've felt all year long. 
Merry Christmas, beautiful friends.