The season for - giving
I intentionally placed the hyphen in the title — for a reason. For many of us, the holidays are filled with family gatherings, laughter, and the exchange of love and light. Yet for others, this season is quieter. Lonelier. Some are carrying far more than what meets the eye—fear, anger, grief, hurt. The weight can be invisible, but it is very real. The truth is, we all carry something. Unhealed trauma, unresolved pain, experiences that shape us in ways we may not immediately understand. These burdens can either anchor us to the past or become the very force that propels us forward. The direction we choose is ours. It may not feel that way in the moment — but I know, from experience, that it is. I come from a history of childhood abuse. I survived a domestic abusive relationship, and I made it to the other side. Those experiences did not break me. Instead, they revealed a strength and depth within me that I never knew existed. They taught me to look for light—even when the world feel...