Time for a Reset

I have a confession to make. I did not decorate for Christmas as I have in the past. In fact, I put both of my trees up, and my daughter decorated the “family” tree—you know, the one with the ornaments the kids made in school and the heirloom decorations my parents have been putting on their trees for decades.

It was my tree that didn’t get decorated.

I started to decorate it. I had the ornaments out and ready. I even put a few on the tree. But something in me couldn’t finish. One day in early December, I looked at what I had done—and what was left to do—and I began to undecorate my tree. I took the ornaments off and placed them back in the box.

My daughter asked what I was doing. She said she would finish decorating it for me, but I told her no. I had tears in my eyes all that evening. Something was off, but I couldn’t explain it. I took the box of ornaments out of the living room and placed it in the hall, ready to be stored in the garage until next year.

I just couldn’t do it.

My daughter asked if I was sure this was what I wanted. I told her, “Yes—and I don’t know why.”

So the tree stood there, undecorated, until today.

I have never been so ready to take the trees down and store them away as I am now. Christmas Day was uneventful, and that was okay. We had our feast the day after Christmas and opened presents then. The grands loved their gifts and ran through the house squealing with delight. We all enjoyed watching them play.

But there was a sense that the adults were simply going through the motions.

My daughter—the one with the grands—mentioned that she felt a little despondent this year.

So what is going on?

It feels like this past year was a huge dumpster fire. Every day seemed to bring a new worldwide crisis. I felt like I could hardly catch my breath from one chaotic moment to the next. I tried to hide it. I tried to stay positive. But in the end, I feel like I failed.

I’m ready for a reset.

New Years are often a time for that reset. I don’t make resolutions, but I do try to incorporate a new habit into my life. The habit for 2026 is learning how to live my authentic life.

What does that mean?

It means saying NO unapologetically.
It means not worrying about things I cannot change.
It means turning off the hyperbolic, frantic noise of social media.
It means loving more.
It means showing gratitude more.
It means doing what I want to do, when I want to do it—not because someone else thinks I should.
It means understanding that I don’t have to make things perfect for others.

I want to feel the holidays again—not dread them.

What does your reset look like? Are you exhausted and in need of rest? Can you find a way to incorporate a new habit into your life? What would that be?

I’m starting my reset today. I don’t need to wait until New Year’s Day. The trees are coming down and being stored away. The kitchen will be deep-cleaned (because I’m tired of sticky counters). The laundry will be done and put away.

And tonight, I’m going to reset with a nice dinner, a cup of sugar-free hot chocolate, and all the candles lit.

I’m choosing to reset with the things I can control—and letting tomorrow worry about the things I can’t.

Blessings,

Bethanne