AH DECEMBER — MY BIRTHDAY MONTH AND MORE!

A NEW MONTH, A NEW YEAR AHEAD — AND YES, THE BIRTHDAY GIRL HAS ARRIVED

“December is proof that endings can be beautiful.”

— anonymous but wise

“The world softens in winter. Even the sun sleeps in.”

— someone poetic

“The older I get, the more joy feels like an act of rebellion.”

— me, before caffeine

December shows up wearing a velvet robe, lighting candles, and whispering,

“Hey… slow down. Look around. This is your life.”

So let’s do that together.

GRATITUDE

DECEMBER, YOU COMPLICATED GEM…

The month when everyone acts like they’re ready for the holidays while secretly living in a tornado of gift bags, dog hair, and Amazon boxes they forgot they ordered.

Still — December shines its quiet little light anyway.

This year, I’m grateful for:

• My stubborn 73-year-old body that still hauls me around this life
• My family, who support my Christmas decorations and European themed dinners
• My drama-queen Australian Shepherd
• My circle of brilliant, fierce late-blooming women
• Small joys that slip into the cracks of ordinary days

December is not about perfection.

It’s about MOON GLOW

December’s full moon — often called the Frost Moon — rises like a pearl above the cold.

It’s a time of:

• Deep rest
• Quiet reflection
• Slowing the frantic pace
• Lighting your own inner fire (metaphorically… mostly)

Winter isn’t punishment.

It’s a pause we desperately need.

A permission slip to soften.

IN MY DECEMBER JOURNAL

This month, I talk about the magic of childhood Decembers — the excitement, the anticipation, the sense that anything could happen.

And yes, I confess:

My first serious December obsession:

The Sears Wish Book.

The original Pinterest board.

A glossy, sacred ritual of circling things I’d never receive and dreaming big in those pages.

It shaped me more than any snow globe or stocking ever did.

HEALTH & SANITY CORNER

December is beautiful —

and also exhausting, overwhelming, overstimulating, and emotional.If you need grounding:

👉 PsychologyToday.com

Short reads. Real science.

A gentle reminder that you’re not losing your mind — you’re just in America in December.

Also helpful this month:

• More protein
• Hydrating like you’re doing a wellness challenge
• A 10-minute walk
• Declaring “not today, Satan” at least once per week

ENDING THIS YEAR & ENTERING THE NEXT

There’s something powerful about crossing from one year into another.

It’s a doorway — not a deadline.

We say:

“Wow, I lived through all of that?”

And then, miraculously, we open our hearts to the new year anyway.

December is the hallway.

January is the open field.

And at 73, I’m walking into that field with purpose, humor, and snacks in my purse.

A LITTLE TOAST FOR THE SEASON

My holiday bubbly rule is simple:

• If it fizzes → we celebrate
• If it doesn’t → cook with it or gift it to someone who won’t notice

The magic isn’t in the champagne.

It’s in the company.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Let yourself be:

Soft when you can be

Strong when you need to be

Messy when you must be

Hopeful because you deserve to be

December invites us to exhale, reset, reflect, and renew — without apology.

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for being here.

My heart is full.

Julie Bolejack, MBA

JulieBolejack.com

mindfulactivist.etsy.com