As you might have noticed, my posting has been irregular in the past month— and this is due to the looming holiday season! I successfully completed no homework over break, even though I desperately wanted to get ahead. But my body had other plans for me. The rest was much needed (although the week still felt rushed and chaotic by the end, with relatives and friend dates and long walks with Bielka) and I’m ready to tackle all my impending finals and exams! That being said, the blog is going on the backburner again until after I’ve prioritized my schoolwork. So, this is a bit of a farewell post! 😦

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to offer my gratitude to everyone in my life who has impacted and influenced me in a positive way. Thank you to all the friends and family who have supported me throughout my high school and college career; thank you to my coworkers and teammates who continue to inspire me; thank you to my wonderful roommate, and my university friends, and Kingdom Come Club leaders (y’all have such big, wonderful hearts), and TYWI Club officers, and the people from home who reach out and show that they care. I love all of you dearly and I hope that your holidays will be joyful and full of light!

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I’m going to impart you all with a quote from a book I finished recently. Though it is a sobering thought, I feel like someone may need it. I needed it last Christmastime, for sure. Oftentimes, we stretch ourselves so thin in attempting to please others that we become people that we’re not meant to be (a trend I notice particularly during the holidays, in an effort to keep the peace, to fit into the helper mold without a second of thought as to how much it is affecting ourselves). “You cannot save the world,” Chloe Gong writes in Foul Lady Fortune. “You can try to save one thing if you must, but it is enough if that one thing is yourself.”

Obviously, the traditions that we celebrate are intended to spread kindness, generosity, and love. But you can’t uplift these values, if you feel burnt out, depressed, invisible, lonely etc. etc. The list goes on. In other words, as the cliche goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. So, here’s a gentle reminder that it’s okay to be a little selfish during this time of year. It’s okay to focus on self-love and self-care. Know who you are, where your boundaries are drawn, and how you’re going to be kind to yourself too.

Much love,

Sophia