December is here,
The magical month is here,
The last month of the year.
A month of love, reflection, and gratitude.
We reflect on the year that has passed.
We make vision boards and set New Year resolutions.
Most of these resolutions, however, are never followed.
The magical holiday month.
It’s filled with hot chocolate and butter cookies.
Families cuddle together under warm blankets,
Watching favorite holiday movies.
They build snowmen and buy advent calendars.
For many, it’s a month of merry and gift-giving.
Families come together to celebrate.
They create new memories while cherishing the old.
They look forward to the New Year with love and hope.
But for some, it’s still a month of death and destruction.
It’s a time of looking back and realizing what they have lost—
And what they are still losing.
There is no merriment or feasts spread across the table.
Only hunger and a struggle to find a single grain.
They reflect on loved ones lost.
On families they once knew, now completely erased.
Children are not snuggled in warm blankets with loved ones.
Instead, they sit and sleep beside graves.
For others, December is a reflection on their internal battles.
They fight silently, trying to keep up.
Every day, they push themselves to show up for their loved ones.
They think about how they have grown—
Or how they are still stuck.
But they keep trying.
Examples of courage and resilience must be set.
December comes and will come to an end.
People will celebrate the New Year with family and friends.
Some will stay home and enjoy the quiet.
Another December will come again.
Pray that the next will be different for many.
Especially for those who are suffering and trying their best to heal.
