Why Does the Week After Christmas Feel So Heavy—and So Important?

  This reflection begins in the quiet days after Christmas, when many of us sense a weight we didn’t expect. The decorations are coming down, the family gatherings are over, and the calendar quietly turns toward a new year. Martha and I have just reviewed our anticipated schedule for 2026. And yet, instead of relief […]

As the Year Turns

  This brief poem pauses at the turn of the year, holding questions rather than answers. What are you thinking As you close out this year? Have you tied all loose ends— New start to a new year? A review of the past Should you choose to look, Are there rays of light Or brightness […]

 Why Do the Holidays Cost Us More Than We Expect—Financially and Emotionally?

This commentary steps back to consider why the holidays so often leave us wanting to fix what we feel afterward. When I reflect on the holiday season, it often seems to me that what should be a time of joy quickly becomes a season of stress and unease. Perhaps it happens because many of us […]