With a new year of hopeful, positive change.

I’ll be honest; I’d not heard of Hamilton Wright Mabie (1846-1916) before I stumbled upon that quote, but his words struck me as such a poignant description of what the holidays should be, and hopefully are, for all of us, I had to share it.

Briefly, Mr. Mabie was an American essayist, editor, critic, and lecturer dedicated to literature and education, “renowned for his warm and accessible literary style and for popularizing the study of myths and folklore among a wide audience.” [Short Stories]. His framing of the holidays (which in current times include Christmas, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, any and all events and celebrations of the holiday season) as a “conspiracy of love” holds a hopeful, optimistic light to this time of year, a time that comes with wide swath of conflicting emotions for many, many people.

Beyond the unavoidable contradiction of celebrating in the midst of pervasive global angst, there’s also the granular madness specific to the holidays themselves. For many, that’s a burden: the demands of gift-giving, decorating, entertaining, office parties, time with people we either do or don’t want to spend time with, just, in general, participating in the swirling eddies of (sometimes enforced) holiday cheer can be too much for some people.

Which is why I always suggest, and we’ve implemented in our own family, downsizing the holidays to a size that fits your particular temperament and circumstances. It’s actually easy to do once you get past the stalwarts who resist any change to family traditions or cultural expectations. In our case, we limit gift-giving to the local kids, keep gatherings casual and easy, do digital holiday cards, and focus on easy entertaining like cookie parties and time spent in the “conspiracy of love”: cuddling the littles, thoughtful conversations with those visiting, lots of warm, authentic time with family and friends, and, in my husband’s case, a commitment to “ugly Christmas shirts” (I’ve at least got him focused on mid-level ugly). It all adds up to an easier, less expectant time, and is celebratory enough to amply mark the moments.

So, on this day of Christmas Eve, what I wish for you—my family, my friends; my colleagues, collaborators, subscribers, curious readers, fellow Substackers, everyone—is to find your own “conspiracy of love” in whatever holidays you celebrate and however you celebrate them. Time and energy spent in ways that feed heart and soul (and, yes, stomach, too … it is, after all, the holidays!), ways that bring you closer to those you love, bring you joy; leave you emotionally sated and hopeful for the year ahead.

Know that I am always and incredibly grateful for your continuing support and interest in my thoughts and words, for joining me here on this platform (and elsewhere) as subscribers, commenters, sharers, fellow writers, and dear friends and family who take the time to engage. For your passion and commitment to moving our world, our country, our fellow humans, in directions that benefit us all, and for staying in the global conversation. We are all in this together.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Joyful Hanukkah, Festive Kwanzaa, and, of course, good whatever it is people do on Boxing Day!

May 2026 be a year of …. well, let’s fill in the blanks with positive events and changes we can all celebrate. That’s what I’m going for.

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