The presents will be returned. The food will be eaten. The lights will come down. But the compliment that makes someone feel seen ? That stays tucked in their heart long into the cold, quiet month of January.
We are officially in the thick of it. The tinsel is (probably) tangled, the parking lots are chaotic, and your social media feed is a blur of matching pajamas and perfectly iced sugar cookies.
But what if we slowed down? What if we used this season of light and gathering not just to exchange pleasantries, but to actually see each other?