People were buying things they didn't need because the packaging was pretty and it made them feel like they were participating in something.

And I thought – this is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. This hollow version of Christmas where everyone is playing the role of "happy Christmas person" instead of actually being honest about what they feel.

Then I saw an older woman sitting on a bench by herself, drinking coffee, just watching people. She wasn't performing anything. She wasn't trying to look happy or sad or festive. She was just... existing. Observing. And somehow she was the only person there who looked actually content ✨

That's the Christmas I want. Not the sparkly, complicated, performing-for-the-world version. Just the simple, honest, present version. Even if that means sitting alone sometimes. Even if it means not looking the way Christmas is supposed to look 🤍