Did you have a dream, a goal, for this year that didn’t happen? Maybe there was a big project you wanted to finish, or a personal goal you set that you fell short of. So you are probably feeling bad about the thing you didn’t achieve or the numbers that weren’t met. But this is all up to how you see it. You are the one who decides if you succeed or fail at a task. You decide what success or failure is when it comes to what you do in your life.

The year is winding to a close and it seems like everyone is making lists. Lists of the things they loved this year, lists of the things they hated this year. And most of all, everyone is making lists of resolutions. And it seems that every year, most of those lists end up tossed aside, gathering dust. Then new lists are made at the end of the year and it all starts again!

This time of year, we’re all feeling a little run down. And sometimes you just want someone to notice, to care, to ask how you’re doing. I get it. I feel that way too sometimes! It’s easy to feel discouraged when it seems like nobody notices all of the hard work you do every day.

I’ve been talking and writing a lot about the holidays, because I’ve seen how much my friends and others are doing this season, and how they’re sometimes a little hesitant to talk about the struggles they’re having. After all, this is supposed to be the season of joy, the time when everyone is cheerful—at least according to all the smiling family photos and Christmas letters detailing lots of accomplishments that land in the mailbox every day.

I’ve been doing some thinking and talking about holiday traditions lately, and revisiting the traditions of my childhood. We all have different ways of celebrating our holidays, and it’s interesting to see how those celebrations change when we have our own families!

The holidays are just around the corner and the days are getting shorter, so I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about traditions. Now that I’m a mother and grandmother, I love to think back to all of the traditions that were the mainstays of my childhood.

These days, I feel like the world could really use more kindness. Looking around outside, I can’t help but notice that it seems to be in pretty short supply. But why does kindness matter? What does it mean to be kind? Kindness is one of the greatest gifts we’ve been given, and it’s up to us to keep it going.

A lot of people I know are struggling this year. Are you one of them? If so, I hope this will help.

Traditions have been very important throughout my life, especially when I was raising my children. I work hard to remain consistent in much of my holiday planning. This has always helped create a peaceful environment in my home, even during times when my relationships were difficult.

After a painful breakup, it can be hard to reconcile your happy holiday wishes with the reality of your situation. But for your own sake and the sake of your children (if children are involved), it’s important to figure out a set of holiday traditions and routines that works for you.