This is for you. Yes, *you*. ❤

Hello hello everyone coming across, I hope you're keeping well and staying safe. 💛

I've been the Sunny elf this season, sharing the Holiday Anonymous Shout-outs in the Community Projects and Events sub-community, and it has been real fun doing it. To see such kind, loving, thoughtful reminders. A little "I'm thinking of you" really does go a long long way.

We cannot be with each other in-person, or even 247 together virtually, but the thought definitely counts.

Letting everyone know, I'm thinking of *you*. 💛

Taking a moment here to appreciate all the community users who have been trying to reach out for support, for company, for compassion ~ it is super brave of you to do it. To leave some room for hope and to hold space for some kindness for yourself no matter how difficult it feels to accept it.

A big shout out to all the community users, who have made several posts either in the form of check ins, forum discussions, chatroom sessions, reminders, right about any thing you did to offer some space to the community to lean on to.

Acknowledging how holidays aren't just "happy" for everyone, or that the year ending particularly isn't a comfortable time for all of us.

Thank*you* for your thoughtful gesture, your kind and compassionate words, your gentle support and assurance that it is okay to not be okay, that we are all in this together, that none of us have to do it alone or that it is okay to feel as one does. 💛

Thank*you* to the people who leave supportive comments, who take time to reflect and empathize, share their own experiences, share stories filled with courage and hope and sprinkle kind words around like confetti.

Thank*you* for making so many feel so much more seen, heard, acknowledged, supported, encouraged, loved and cared for.

Thank*you* for making someone feel like a someone too by being a someone for them, for making them feel less alone.

Despite the many efforts and the different initiatives, it is very much possible to still feel left out somewhere, to feel there could be something else addressed and acknowledged also. And yes you do deserve to be seen equally. 💛

So this holiday season, sending lots of love and compassion to those who...

💛 don't believe in "holidays"

💛 are struggling to feel joyful or happy or "merry"

💛 can't be with their loved ones

💛 are missing their old self

💛 are grieving

💛 are feeling burned out and exhausted

💛 are spending the holidays alone

💛 are going through a big transition in life

💛 are pretending to be okay when they don't feel like it

💛 are feeling pressured to seem jolly

💛 are not looking forward to *socializing*

💛 are isolated/ isolating due to xyz reasons

💛 are struggling to keep up with life

💛 are finding it difficult to stay hopeful

💛 are struggling to afford a holiday celebration

💛 are in an unsafe environment (physical/ emotional)

💛 are trying to hold it all together

💛 are waiting for this time to pass soon

💛 are struggling mentally/ emotionally/ physically in any way

💛 are providing care to a loved one

💛 are visited by past not-so nice memories

💛 are feeling stuck in life

💛 are worried about the future

💛 aren't feeling anything, not wanting to feel/ partake in anything around them

💛 anyone who is needing a little extra love this holiday season

Yes, *you* are so seen, your struggles are valid, how you feel is valid.

I feel the movies and other media around focuses too much on the "holidays are a time for family, love, magic" etc, while it can and on the greaaaat side, it does feel nice to acclimatize with the jolly vibe and experiencing the love and happiness infused with magic. It is absolutely not necessary to feel it, or try to pressure yourself to be around people and do holiday-ish things.

What else is okay to do though? Rest. Yes, we don't need to be finishing the year "strong" or struggle to meet any "goals" we haven't met so far~ and the 'deadline' seems to be approaching fast?

We can finish this year soft, and gentle also.

Perhaps a good *goal* for the last week of the year could be to treat yourself with your favorite meal, to hang out with your loved one, to watch that movie/ show you've been delaying because "not enough time", to call/ text/ meet someone you wanted to, to complete that DIY project you saved in your YouTube playlist, to cook something for yourself, to spend some time with yourself, to engage in that hobby again you left long ago, to read a couple of pages of your favorite book, to play with your pet, orrrr the absolute best, to make a warm, comfy, cozy bed for yourself and snuggle inside the blanket OR really anything else that makes you feel comforted and relaxed.

Productivity is always relative, comparison is truly a thief of joy here, also very irrelevant because productivity is most likely different for everyone. For someone it might be reading a certain number of books during a time period, for others it might be cleaning their room, for someone it might be completing their assignments for other it might be gaining the courage to brush their hair so on and so forth.

Bottom line, it's okay to do what you're able to, you're holding so strong and doing your best everyday, and that should count just enough.

Allowing yourself to slow down, pause, breathe, reflect and rest is productive enough also. 💛

Year ending is extra hard I feel, carrying all the past experiences, the future worries and the present stresses. Perhaps we can take some time out to just *be* in the moment and then breathe through it.

One breath, one moment at a time. We've made it past another year filled with many ups and downs and rock bottoms, so the least we deserve here is taking the time to acknowledge all of that, the strength with which we've held ourselves and the hope we carry every day, waking up to see another morning and another opportunity at just #life.

You are here, trying your best~ it does matter. 💛

Having said that, wishing everyone a great year ahead, filled with all things love and loving, care and caring, good health, happiness, peace and everything else your heart desires. 🌻

Probably a little long haha, but oh well, when the love is endless and the compassion is boundless, this must be okay too! XD

*offering hugs to everyone okay with them*