{{first_name|Darling}},

One day, the chaos will be the thing you miss most.
The burnt potatoes.
The last-minute wrapping.
The loud opinions.
The "Can you just help me with this real quick?"
The unspoken tension.
The overly familiar jokes.
The third round of “just one more photo.”
It’s a lot.
But it’s also a miracle.

Check out this crazy stat, it blew my mind when I read it for the first time.

✨

By the age of 12, we’ve already spent 75% of the total time we’ll ever have with our parents.
Let that sink in.

75% of the total time!

That means every Christmas from here on…
is rarer than you think.
Holier than it feels.

So if you're lucky enough to still have both parents,
a grandparent who insists on telling the same story again,
a sibling who drives you mad and still hugs you like you're seven…

Be in it.
Soak it in.
Let it move through you.

Let it be messy and loud and emotional and imperfect because one day, their name won’t light up your phone.

They won’t be in the kitchen calling your name.
They won’t need your help tying a bow or slicing the ham.
And the thing that once irritated you?

Will ache to return.

So this year, cherish it.
The presence.
The proximity.

The privilege of loving and being loved even imperfectly.

This season isn’t about perfection.
It’s about people.
And the kind of magic you only notice once it’s gone.

With love,
M x