Setting the Winter Table
Standing at the Threshold
Today feels like a long exhale. There is a quiet accomplishment in simply reaching the end of a year, especially one that carried so much. This year held deep grief and deep growth, often at the same time. I lost people I love. I completed EMDR training, graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne, received my LCMHCA, and opened Wild Azalea Counseling. It has been a year of becoming and a year of letting go.
Seasonally, I feel the pull toward rest. Toward the bear’s den. Toward the kind of wintering that asks nothing more than presence and patience. My body is ready for stillness, for warmth, and for the slow work that happens beneath the surface.
As I look back, I notice there are things that still need acknowledgment. I want to recognize the pride I feel in the work I have done this year. I have celebrated with others, but I have not fully paused to appreciate what my mind and body carried me through. I also want to acknowledge the grief that continues to move with me. The loss of my aunt. The distance from family. The guilt that comes with not being present in the ways I wish I could have been. The loss of my grandfather and the ache of time that slipped by too quickly.
Before stepping into January, I want to set down the weight of unrealistic expectations. I know how easily I can reach for more than is reasonable and then feel disappointment even when I meet the mark. I want to leave that pattern at the threshold.
In my body, this moment feels like a soft pause. A place between seasons, between years, between who I have been and who I am becoming. Not a leap. Not a push. Just a doorway.
The intention I want to carry with me into winter is simple. I want to deepen my spirituality, make space for gratitude, and stay grounded in what matters. I want to let this season be slow and honest.
As the year turns, I want to set a table that feels open. Open to new experiences, new connections, and whatever gentle surprises winter might bring.
If this season feels tender for you too, you are welcome to sit here with me. You are not alone in the in-between.
A Reflection for You
If you would like to write alongside this Winter Table entry, here is a gentle prompt to begin:
What do you want to honor from this past year, and what are you ready to set down before stepping into the next?
