breathing

slowly

busy busy busy days ahead

filled with family and festive fun

brisket slow cooking

garlicky brussel sprouts

au gratin potatoes

gluten-free pumpkin crisp

dog passed from lap to lap yap to yap and begging for forbidden scraps

Sinatra croons tunes as trees branches dip, how many ornaments can that branch even fit?

hearth laden with stockings brimming with surprises, caringly curated, each toe stuffed with Hershey’s kisses inherited from my mom

presents galore, floor strewn with wrappings of red, green, and gold, until we finally admit the flurry/frenzy is over and we clean it all up, happysad

but first…

I will walk through my neighborhood with eight holiday cards, hand them out while looking each one in the eye and wishing them a Merry Christmas—a lost and dying art. It gave me so much joy to fill out the cards, and delivering them will make my own heart glow brighter than our Christmas eve cozy hearth blaze

but even before that

before the morning walk and holiday-greetings delivery service

before my socked feet touch the floor

I’m gifting myself this time

to just be

and breathe

and write

and stroke my little furbaby nestled up against my right thigh

and blow you this kiss made of pixel pixies 🧚‍♀️ 💋

©️ 2025 Sage Taylor Kingsley