I hope that you’ve all been enjoying the holidays…time off from work…time with family and friends to enjoy and celebrate with one another and the spirit of the giving season! This can often be such a joyous time of the year. Yet for many, it can also be a time of melancholy, sadness, angst, and anxiety!
For me this year it’s definitely been both! Or perhaps better said, it’s been at least a little bit of all of the above! 😉 But it’s OK because I am talking about it and sharing it and saying it’s OK. It’s OK that everything is not roses, that everything doesn’t feel happy, that I have moments and thoughts and feelings that aren’t so positive and don’t feel so hot!
But no matter what…there are always things to be grateful for! And doing my best to be present in this very moment…to appreciate the goodness and the beauty in this very moment is soooo very helpful! 🙂
And during John’s Thanksgiving break he and I began what looks to be a wonderful new practice or perhaps tradition for us (since we both felt really good about it). Feeling stressed and anxious, John said what if we write down on little pieces of paper some of the things that are upsetting us right now and then thrown them into the fire. I told him that I absolutely loved his idea! And then I shared my thought on reading them aloud to each other before we throw them in the fire. He said that he would rather not read them aloud so as to not give the words and thoughts any “oxygen”. I totally understood his thinking but asked if he could possibly be open to my thought. Happily, he thought about it and said that he would be open to my idea. It was incredibly powerful to hear what John wanted to get rid of and it was equally as powerful to share what I wanted to get rid of! And if I am being completely honest, I really think it helped us move more easily and happily during what was a VERY stressful time in both of our worlds!!! 🙂
So new traditions…new ideas…new ways to appreciate, celebrate, and honor the beautiful people, places, and things in our lives! In my opinion, one word really does say it all GRATITUDE!!! 🙂
I want to wish you all a very happy, healthy, and peaceful New Year!!!!
Joy & Love,
Goddess Mandy 🙂 XO
I love your (possibly) new tradition! It’s so freeing to write down the things that are troubling us and then burn them. I am happy to hear that things are ok. Thank you for this post, it’s so refreshing and relatable to read and know that it’s not always sunshine and rainbows for everyone every day.
Awwww thanks for saying ALL of that, Demi!! And thanks for stopping my blog too! 🙂 Yeah…if you get to know me you’ll know I am a BIG fan of speaking my truth! And while the glass is nearly at least half full…I don’t sugar coat things either! 🙂 It’s always nice to know (even though sometimes we feel we are) that we’re not alone in the boat!! Happy New Year Demi…hope things are beautiful, happy, and healthy in your world!!!
What an interesting concept, that is a widely used therapy technique and can be very helpful to compartmentalise and rationalise problems, once something that is stressing you out is on a piece of paper, you can reflect on it and come to discover that stressing about it isn’t going to help, or that it really isn’t an issue at all, burning it is symbolic of not letting that sort of shit get to you.
As I am single, I find the holiday period can be very lonely. But I also appreciate how lucky I am in life that I have certain things (a home, a job etc) and the companionship of my new mistress Mandy is one of those things that can bring joy at a dark period.
Wishing you a really great 2026!
Goddess,
i had two things happen this year along the same lines as to what You’re talking about. For Christmas this year, i invited a friend over who is going through a divorce. i’d rather hang out him than with the rest of my family, and i know he enjoyed having somewhere else to be rather than at home alone. It made the day a lot better for both of us.
i also found some old Christmas pictures from when i was a kid. At first, i felt bad that we don’t have that many presents, but then i remembered, we don’t want or need all that useless stuff. It’s so much less stressful.
There’s always a silver lining to be found, and you don’t have to keep doing what you’ve always been doing. Change is good.
Jacob~ Yes, you’re right! I always think saying things out loud (especially when others can hear) and writing things down can be crazy helpful! And when I can see it and look at it as long as I want…and re-read it as many times as I want, it often really helps to rethink it and shift things into a more positive light! And I love how you said that “burning it is symbolic of not letting that sort of shit get to you”! And, I am so very happy to hear that my companionship is bringing you some joy in a dark period!!! 🙂
melody~ I love that you invited your friend over who is going through a rough time! And how great that it was helpful and positive for not only him but for you, too!! 🙂 I equally love your thought on “we don’t want or need all that useless stuff”. And honestly, I agree…it is so much less stressful. I very often find myself saying…”less is more”…and in this instance, I feel you and I are definitely on the same page! And Yes, Yes, Yes…there IS always a silver lining to be found and change can be hard sometimes but often very good!!! 🙂
What a healthy tradition. I am glad you are actively taking your well-being in hand with such a ritual — and that you have a trusted partner to share it with. The holidays sure can be rough on people, although it is certainly my favorite time of year. I try be protective of my headspace and embrace all the traditions and activities without striving for perfection. We just took down our decorations, which can be another mental hurdle as you return to normal life. And of course there’s the long dark January days. So every day can bring challenges, so having traditions and people around us can all serve a good purpose.
But my spirits are quite good. I just got minor surgery and am off work for a couple days which is actually nice. (And I’m fine.) But I hope I can soon embrace a wonderful tradition of calling Mandy and we can share more about the holidays and other things too.
Ohhhhhh Princess…thank you so much!! What a beautiful message. I think that it will be a very healthy practice (tradition) for us to continue with for sure! 🙂 Embracing all of those wonderful feel good happy things but not trying to be perfect sounds incredibly grounded and healthy to me. I’m so glad to hear that your spirits are good and I truly hope that soon enough you’ll be back in my ears for some “Mandy time”!!! 🙂
My New Year’s resolution as always is to get back into bodybuilding shape but the older I get it’s become sooo difficult-I was in great shape but metabolism has slowed way down-I need to have the strict diet everyday that got me into shape. As far as relationships with women it’s been 3 years that my ex and I mutually decided to break up now I have no women to dress me as a girl as Most women my age are married with kids. I’d love to find one that wants to take me out shopping and trying on dresses/bras/makeup/lipsticks/
Perfume but 😢😞😔
Gratitude for another of Your generous shares leading to introspection. i love the way You start this post mentioning the extremes of our perception of the holidays. You know that i have experienced both of these, with this year bringing a positive Christmas journey to remember.
It’s nice to learn You too are human in the second paragraph. For me the struggle is to not dwell in the negativity. You know how long i was stuck and unable to find my happy switch. It has been Your special friendship and unorthodox love that has sustained my progress over the years.
Since we met, You have provided the encouragement to reconnect with the world i felt abandoned by, dear friends from the past, and enhanced my connection with my extended family. Your caring mentorship has allowed me to access this optimistic paradigm based on the gratitude You speak of here.
I also appreciate Your suggestion of a fire bowl to purge our minds of unfounded worries over a past we cannot change, and a future that is uncertain.
Gratitude to You for the caring mentoring You have provided over the past 13 years to help me shift my paradigm from unlovable and unappreciated, to being grateful for the small things and being able to be present in this moment and appreciate the beauty it affords.
I hope others out there in need of a transition for a more positive paradigm to dwell in read this and reach out to experience the joy and wonders You have guided me to.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Carli girl! 🙂 It’s wild how our bodies (including metabolism) can and do change as we age. Thanks for letting me know about your ex…that is sooooo hard! 🙁 BUT…you have us beautiful lovely ladies here to dress you up as a girl! And it’s a LOT of fun to do so, Carli girl!!! And I do hope that you can find that special woman who wants to make you her very own cream-puff sissy girl to mold and shape just as she might like!! 🙂
Oh My gosh kneel…the beauty and kindness in your words are perhaps only matched by the growth and flourishing of your person, your spirit, your soul!!! The positive changes and paradigm shifts have been incredible to watch, over the years. I am so very proud of YOU. I am also so very grateful to have been and to continue to be a part of your healing journey! Thank you for ALL of your kindnesses…loving Me, adoring Me, respecting Me, seeing Me!!! 🙂