On behalf of The Bark, we’d like to wish your family a very joyous holiday season with safe, content celebrations. Festivities this year are arriving in a different format; however, the common theme of joy and appreciation is a gift that our staff genuinely hopes you receive. 

Within prior letters, I have reflected on the value of living balanced and how important it is to be collected. I discussed how during times such as these; a pandemic, an election year, and an overall season of distress, it can be extremely difficult to be productive and centered. 

As an Editor, I encourage my staff to do their best. I wish that their full potential and participation are displayed throughout the course of the year. 

However, as a friend and fellow human being, I recognize that anybody’s full potential right now isn’t what it used to be for better or for worse. Getting caught up in ginormous lists of tasks we haven’t or can’t accomplish seems to be a daily occurrence. Once you tackle the obstacles, a handful of new ones pop right back up, overwhelming each and every one of us repeatedly. 

On a brighter note, I have full confidence that someday there will be a bounce-back where we learn to be productive and capable again. I believe that we can come back from this at some point and thrive once more. 

Within the year 2020, there have been numerous occasions where people have had to learn how to adapt, preserve, and overcome. These are positive skills that we can carry with us in our back pockets for the rest of our lives. This year has provided time for reflection and growth more than ever before.

We’ve been pushed by the universe to think more creatively and love each other harder than ever before due to the loss we’ve all endured in one way or another.

When considering the factors of disappointment and stress that we’ve had to overcome, it’s important to invite grace into the equation. 

Reminding ourselves that it’s okay to not be perfect right now and that others might be struggling too is key to moving forward and learning how to heal as not only a human being, but a community as well. 

Although it might seem difficult to believe, our communities are stronger than ever. For a moment, take a look around you. You might notice a ginormous amount of houses covered in Christmas lights with fake reindeer scattered around the lawn. Turn on the radio and let your ears be filled with Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You. Embrace that beautiful sound, it’s the noise of hope. 

As a country, we need that hope right now. We must cling to it and follow it as that inspiration leads us towards the light at the end of the tunnel. 2021 will provide new opportunities for us to grow and learn and we can’t forget that. 

Nonetheless, in order to get to that point of success, we have to take care of each other and ourselves more than ever. I urge you to take that bubble bath that you’ve been fantasizing about and volunteer your time even when you’d rather stay in bed for just a little while longer. 

With appreciation and gratitude for your well-being, I encourage you to love yourself a tiny bit harder right now. Advocate for your needs and listen to your list of wants no matter how big or small they might be. 

Princess Diana of Wales stated, “Everyone of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves.” Within this season of giving remember to lend out not only the best presents, but the best quality of love and harmony.