A Christmas Poem & Wish for the New Years

We’re getting close to Christmas with presents, trees, and lights.

The outside decorations will brighten up dark nights.

Ornaments of old and new are hanging from the tree.

The manger scene is lit up for all the world to see.

The lists are growing longer for those to come to eat.

And wish lists that were inches are measured now in feet.

The magic of the season is seen within the eyes

Of people from around the world of every shape and size.

Spending time with loved ones should always top the list,

And standing under mistletoe just waiting for a kiss.

Gifts stack up beneath the tree, tied up with pretty bows.

Some contain dolls or toys, and some contain new clothes.

The smells that permeate the air are pleasing to the senses.

From candles burning brightly to pine boughs draping fences.

Coming from the outside into the heat of a blazing fire,

The sights of Christmas are something of which I’ll never tire.

The spicy smell of gingerbread is hanging in the air

Along with cups of eggnog and cocoa sitting there.

The day dawns bright and early with squeals of great delight.

The children race to open gifts that were left there in the night.

The stockings that were hung with care have now been taken down

By ones who’ll read the names on each, and they’ll be passed around.

Every single person who sits and waits right there,

Will soon have piles of presents to open up with care.

Some will find a store-bought gift, and some will be homemade.

The love with which they both are wrapped will never ever fade.

The plates are set, the food smells good, it’s time to sit and eat.

The sounds of love and laughter are always hard to beat.

As the year comes to a close and it’s time to start a new one,

Keep your loved ones in your heart and leave some room for fun.

Once everyone has gone home and when the day is through,

Sit down and put your feet up and focus more on you!

The holidays have a way of asking more of us than we often anticipate—our time, our energy, and our emotional attention. Amid all the giving, gathering, and expectations, it’s easy to overlook a basic truth: we need care just as much as we offer it.

Recently, I encountered a phrase that has stayed with me and that I now prefer to the familiar term “self-care”: self-respect rituals. The idea shifts the focus from indulgence to intention. Simple acts of self-respect—pausing to rest, honoring personal limits, and choosing what genuinely brings peace—can help us navigate the season with greater grace and steadiness.

When we treat ourselves with the same consideration we extend to others, we create room for deeper joy, more meaningful connection, and a season that feels not just busy, but purposeful.

Wishing you health, peace, and joy!