The true meaning of advent is really in the waiting. This piece helps you cultivate a spiritual life with meaning as the holiday season approaches.

Some of you are under pressure to feel holiday-ish but guess what . . . .

The true meaning of advent is really in the waiting.

In waiting we practice hope, in waiting for something together, a shared tomorrow, we enjoy peace.  In waiting we have faith that something amazing is about to happen, and believe it in our bones.  And despite it being dark and rainy outside and inside our hearts, and our bodies and minds are suffering, our soul experiences some kind of joy.

And in cultivating our spiritual lives, we eventually come to the knowledge of authentic love.  And I hope through your journey this becomes known to you in your bones.

I'm still grappling with this one so I'm not going to lie and sound like I know it all, all the time.  Turns out all I knew all along was ego love, not true love, growing up in an abusive and traumatic setting.   What a mic dropping moment to find that out at the age of 37, married with kids. 😂.  Life, gotta love it.  

So I too, am waiting to experience the full meaning of consistently receiving and practicing and growing in authentic love. 

Wait, so where are my Christmas wishes?

As someone who has experienced depression, seasonal affective disorder winter after winter, and deep loneliness...

I'm going to spare you the positive band-aids, and expectations of having to feel happy, and simply ask you...

Are you okay, and how are you?

It's really me at the end of this email so I want you to find the nagging anger/sadness/fear within you, and type it all out.  

You can bin the email after you've written it, or send it anyway - I'm not going anywhere this holiday, and no swear word is beyond me 😂

You'll feel so much better than me simply telling you to have a tinsel-filled Christmas, I promise.  

PS. Pass it on this Christmas, and keep Christmas in your heart all year.  Reach out to the isolated friend, the cashiers, the delivery men, the people on the street, the young people.  Slow down and look them in the eye and give them a smile.  If they welcome you, ask them from the bottom of your heart, How are you.  Listen.