December 2025

Whenever I begin working on my newsletter or blog for the coming month, I start by looking up quotes that capture the essence of the month and provide inspiration and hope. The month of December was no different.

But there wasn’t much in the way of warm fuzzies. Everything was “bleak, “cold,” or “dark.”

(Maybe if I had decided to look up quotes about Christmas, I would have had better luck. It’s all hugs and kisses and holiday wishes. And nothing says Christmas like hot cocoa and arguing about whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Don’t go there.)

Even our greatest writers found it difficult to describe December with optimism.

Let’s begin with Dylan Thomas, the Welsh poet: “It was snowing. It was always snowing at Christmas. December, in my memory, is white as Lapland, though there were no reindeers. But there were cats.” So much for spending the winter in Wales. I’m deathly allergic to cats, so I won’t be visiting Wales any time soon. Although whenever I go to Scotland, I can visit the Cairngorm Reindeer herd. Here’s hoping all the cats will still be in Wales.

And speaking of Scotland, my countryman, Walter Scott, said this about December. “When dark December glooms the day, and takes our autumn joys away.” We’re clearly kindred spirits. December? For us, it’s more like Decemberrrrr. My favorite winter activity? Going back inside and putting my pajamas on.

But Aristotle admonished his fair-weather friends when he said, “To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”

To which Billy Connolly replied, “There’s no such thing as bad weather – only the wrong clothes.” Okay, maybe he wasn’t thinking about Aristotle when he said that. But for me, standing out in the cold means I have to put on so many layers that I look like Michelin Man. And if I fall down, I’m staying down. BTW, if I don’t get the January newsletter out on time, would someone come look for me in the spring (when it’s warm again)?

Enough with the December gloominess, okay? Let’s see if we can look on the Merry and Bright side of the season.

“I heard a bird sing in the dark of December. A magical thing. And sweet to remember. We are nearer to spring than we were in September. I heard a bird sing in the dark of December.” Oliver Herford

That’s better. I like to believe that during the dark of any time in our lives, not just December, we can find something magical and sweet to remember. Because whatever magical thing we choose to believe in is just that – a  choice.

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.” Albert Einstein

We walk through our world, doubting and believing. We often do this without reflection, and often develop strongly held views, some based upon unexamined assumptions and biases.

Some people say they will not believe in anything they can’t see. There are many reasons why people choose this way of perceiving the world. But what about everything else that cannot be proven scientifically, logically, or rationally?

“When our eyes are graced with wonder, the world reveals its wonders to us. There are people who see only dullness in the world and that is because their eyes have already been dulled. So much depends on how we look at things. The quality of our looking determines what we come to see.” John O’Donohue

We push a button, and the TV comes on. We trust it will come on. We might not understand the science of airwaves and sound, but we believe in the magic of television. Nor do we wonder whether the sun will rise. We just assume with confidence and without question that it will.

Then why don’t we believe in our own magic, our own sure knowing? Why do we doubt?

Doubt is a common experience for everyone. We all have moments when we doubt our perceptions, our beliefs, what we see, feel, know. Most of the world lives in a mind existence – I won’t believe it until I see it! – so believing and trusting in something that isn’t tangible is hard for many of us to do.

Then there are those people who are believers by nature. For them, beliefs are the guiding principles that provide direction and meaning in life.

And yet the reasons we believe in any one thing are essentially the same reasons why we doubt. Both doubt and belief are in fact self-created filters; both originate from what we hear and keep on hearing from others. In addition, culture, habit, upbringing, religious or superstitious practices, history, and accustomed pessimism are all powerful factors that underlie and inform why we doubt or why we believe.

Both doubt and belief impact our perception of the world around us as well as how we navigate our daily lives as a result of that perception. But we can consciously feel the doubt and then actively spring into action to expand and grow in ways that feel appropriate to us instead of letting doubt rule our lives.

Happy December! Gingerbread hugs and peppermint kisses to all! Now, put on the right clothes, go out in the cold, and earn your hot cocoa. And here’s hoping you all can stay off the Naughty List for a few more weeks!

“If we make it through December, everything’s gonna be alright I know.” Merle Haggard