Struggling Through to the End

The end of the year is hard. It’s dark and cold (at least in the Northeast where I live). And the last part of the year comes with expectations and obligations that can add stress to an already stressful time. The people who go around these last two weeks of December with an indelible Holiday spirit actually confound me.

And yet, despite all of that, I’m lucky. I have a wife that adores me and a family that loves me. Many people, especially many people in fat or trans bodies, aren’t so lucky. Some might be going back to homes where their bodies are questioned or denied, where they might have been through trauma or violence. Some might not be going home at all because they have made the decision to remove toxic influences from their lives. Some might be going to homes where they have lost someone important.

It’s true all year, but especially now, as we look toward the end: Be kind. Everyone is going through something you don’t know anything about. And if you need it, I hereby give you permission to be kind to yourself above all.

Finally, because I can’t ignore this wonderful advice from Hess Love on Medium, some advice to give someone, maybe someone at home, who expresses concern for your “health”: