During this season, it’s always so easy to compare your life with the picture-perfect family holiday cards, extravagant travel and engagement announcements, and annual roundups. It’s often so tempting to believe the lie that those posing in the perfectly plaid family photos have lives that are more fulfilling or beautiful than our own, or that perhaps they’re doing life ‘right’.

How about we not go down that path? How about we all admit that no one’s life is trauma or drama-free, that we all have silent longings and insecurities, and crave security and belonging? That we all hold pieces of heartbreak and tender sacred dreams? So here’s a gentle reminder that we’re all running our own race. May we be kind to ourselves, respect the timing of our own life’s unfolding, and keep our hearts in check. And regardless of the season, may we always recognize the joy, fullness and richness that exist in our own lives and on the unique path that we decide to embark upon.