for many of us, this stretch of the year brings us back to the basics: connection, gratitude, and what truly matters.
as the season of gathering takes shape, i want to offer an invitation to turn toward home — not only the home you live in, but the inner one you carry. the places, people, and practices in your life can become tools that help you remember who you are.
sometimes that feels comforting.
sometimes it stirs things up.
often, it’s complicated.
to start, let’s look at relationships as a pathway home, echoing what goethe said long ago: “tell me who you spend your time with and i will tell you who you are.”
REFLECTION
who you surround yourself with shapes how you grow. the company you keep is the soil you’re planted in.
as a therapist and coach, i see this season kick up all kinds of things. for some, gatherings bring closeness; for others, they highlight distance or loss. even if you’re spending this time more quietly, old patterns and memories tend to surface.
the question isn’t whether these relationships influence you — it’s how.
takeaway: each relationship in your life reflects something back to you about who you are and who you’re becoming.
PRACTICE
relationships can be a kind of homecoming. notice who you become around certain people. where do you shrink? where do you come alive?
over the next few days, pay attention to what (and who) brings out your steadiness, humor, warmth, or curiosity. then, lean a little more in that direction.
CLOSING THOUGHT
every relationship holds a piece of your story — what’s healed, what still aches, and what’s ready to grow.
coming home to yourself isn’t a single event; it’s an ongoing practice of noticing, softening, and beginning again.
as you move through this season, may you find people and moments that help you remember who you truly are.
with care,
donald
