(Written December 25, 2025)

I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of relationships in this season of holidays and holy days. 

Many of us are experiencing changes in our relationships. Some of our loved ones are dying. Some of our friendships lack the strength they once had. Some of us are experiencing a change in our jobs. Some of us are far from home. Some of us are with family that doesn’t show love in the ways we hope or need. Some of us are experiencing changes in our bodies as health and abilities shift. Some of us are experiencing changes in our relationship with this season because of our grief. 

Some of us are filled to the brim with Hope, Efficacy, Resiliency, and Optimism.  And some of us are really struggling to find signs of our inner HERO.

As I struggle with my grief this season, the words of one of my favorite worship poems, “Bring Your Stories,” have been resonating with me. It was written by Ruth C. Duck & Maren C. Tirabassi. Ruth was both my professor and friend in graduate school. 

My relationship with “Bring Your Stories” has morphed over the years. It was part of the deep, life-changing joy of my wedding with Robert and part of the soul-shaking sadness of Robert’s funeral.  

The poem speaks of Spirit and God. My relationship with the Divine has changed over the years, too. What was once a close friendship has now become more of a distant sense of awe. Still, the poem speaks deeply to me.

In the midst of grief, I believe it is important to continue to bring our stories, to share our songs, to let our feelings fill the sky with whatever colors they might be at any given moment. That is part of our work to be efficacious, to believe in ourselves, and to be optimistic in the midst of our present reality.

It is also important to share our thoughts with people we trust, with those who love us and who will dance on our behalf when we can’t find the energy to move. That is part of our resilience journey. 

And sometimes hope is found when the thousand voices of our ancestors speak in silence, surrounding us with the love we need to walk through the moment.  

In this season of holidays and holy days, I hope you continue to find ways to share your stories.