Merry Christmas from Lean Out

Wishing you all the best for the holiday

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Good morning everyone, Merry Christmas. And Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish readers!

I absolutely love Christmas. For me, it is a chance to recapture a state of childlike wonder. You can bet that the first thing I’ll do upon waking is check my stocking. If it’s snowing here in Toronto, I’ll make coffee and watch the flakes fall, carpeting the streets outside our window. Later, you’ll find me dancing in the kitchen to Michael Bublé tunes, and the Canadian classic from Bim and Connie Kaldor, New Songs for an Old Celebration (you can listen here). I’ll sing along as I bake biscuits for our pyjama brunch. At some point, I’ll find a quiet moment to read the new historical fiction novel Christmas with the Queen, wishing she was still here to give her customary Christmas Day address. (For fun, here’s a personal essay on the Queen.)

If your cup runneth over this year, savour the moment — and share the joy, spread the good fortune around. If this year is a lean one, or a sad one, or a lonely one, know that you are not alone.

I’ll be thinking of you all today, with fondness and appreciation. Wherever you are, however you celebrate, I wish you all the best.