Today brought a quiet honesty... Sometimes surviving it is the victory.

 

Today brought a quiet honesty—an acceptance in my heart that the holidays will never be the way they once were. Too many of my loved ones are in heaven now, and life has unfolded very differently than I once imagined.

I know many of you are walking through a season that feels unfamiliar, even disorienting—where the calendar says celebration, but your heart knows something has changed.

This morning a simple thought came to me… some seasons are just hard seasons of missing. And no amount of effort can force life back into the shape it once had.

So I’m learning not to fight that.

Instead I’m trying to balance the ache by paying attention to what’s still here… there is so much to be grateful for.

A steady body.

Friends who check in.

Animals who give me love and purpose.

This makeshift ministry where we find one another.

And peace that arrives in small, unexpected moments.

These aren’t loud or flashy gifts, but they are precious ones.

If you moved through this holiday feeling tender, disappointed, or simply aware that you’re standing in a chapter you never intended to be in—you didn’t fail the season. Sometimes surviving it is the victory.

As the year draws to a close and we look toward what’s next, I hope you give yourself permission to honor the life you’re actually living—not only the one you miss.

May we cherish our memories with all our hearts,

and may we also be grateful for the days still ahead of us.

I’m already claiming 2026 as a year of healing… for all of us.

Much love,

LaurieAnna

Source: Cupola Ridge on Facebook