Christmas is truly one of my favorite holidays.  I love the magic in the air and I love creating magic for my family.  I love the spirit and reminder of how even through hard times, we always have each other and the real strength and magic is in love and belief.  Even in the darkest of nights there is a light we can find.  And if we’ve found a particularly dark spot in ourselves this year, now is the time to make peace with that and allow some of our light to shine through again—even in those darkest of places.  Tonight is about love and hope above all.  Sure we all hope Santa brings us something special but the truth is there are infinite irreplaceable and special things in this world just as it is now and they are constantly around us.  I can attest first hand that it isn’t always easy to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps.  Sometimes life has a way of kicking our ass so thoroughly we aren’t sure how we can get up again.  Yet, every year, I find myself here in awe and in love and grateful for everything around me.  Not just materially in the safety I’ve built in my life and the home I’ve created, but with the genuine love of people I care about.  Time has a way of showing us what matters and revealing the truth about those around us. This year had some hard lessons.  But even with hard lessons, there is joy-and that is the light.

We can’t get to where we’re going without pushing through.  The great equalizer in this world is the test of strength we all face when it comes to taking that next step in our lives.  Whether it’s taking the leap on what we always wanted to do or finally speaking our truth or finally becoming honest about who we are, we will ALL have to decide if we are willing to face that challenge head on.  Part of the magic of this night has to do with the shedding and becoming that happens when we choose to enter the phase of unknown to find the next phase of known.  This night is filled with the hope and anticipation of great things to come.  Sure it’s terrifying to leave the safety of what we know because that makes us vulnerable.  But it also makes us open to receive.  No matter how tired we are and no matter how far we’ve come or how far we still have to go, taking that challenge head on opens a door to the strength we have in side that we may not have known to exist.  Open the door.  Embark on the journey and be grateful for the tools we have at our disposal.  We have everything we need with us, and with hope, belief, perseverance, and courage, a new life is birthed to us.  We’ve always had what we needed all along and this beautiful holiday is a reminder that we still have it.  Be grateful for what we have and for those we have with us but do not fear taking the steps on the path laid before us.  Do not be afraid to enter the darkness of the den to find the lion within is a cat that needs to be held.  To align with the magic that runs in our veins and to become who we are meant to be.  Let the light shine no matter how cold or dark and we find all the warmth we need within.  We will always be guided to where we need to be, we will always find our way.