December is always a busy month with the holidays, for me- my birthday, and the general chaos of the year closing out. But here we are on the other side, greeted by a new year with new possibilities.
A Year Without a Santa Claus stop motion- the greatest Christmas television special of all time
Listening to niche Spotify playlists created by strangers
Ditching books that bore me instead of feeling pressure to suffer through them
Music from the 50s and 60s
Not caring about your birthday
Traditional Medicinals Seasonal Sampler tea with lemon juice and honey thanks to the cold I woke up with on Christmas Eve
Making lists- like this
Stressing so much I get chest pains, then stressing about the chest pains
Brown noise
Lana Del Rey
I’m slightly disappointed in my reading this month. I began the month attempting to read In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado. I’ve heard phenomenal things about this book, but I don't think it was the right time to read it. I struggled to get into the book, and combined with the fact that I received a bunch of exciting books for Christmas, I decided to put it aside without finishing it. It didn’t bore me as you may think from the previous list, I will be coming back to it.
One of the books I received for Christmas was Shame by Annie Ernaux. This is the second Ernaux book I’ve read this year, and she has continued not to disappoint. I also recently learned that she received the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature. Shame is a short memoir recalling Ernaux’s childhood trauma and the shame that followed. It focuses on experiences with her religious upbringing, family dynamics, and wealth and economic class differences. Ernaux writes with such brutal honesty that feels oddly comforting because you so rarely experience it. She makes you feel less alone in your undesirable feelings, which makes me love her and her work.
I love nothing more than watching my friends succeed, get the things they’ve always wanted, be in love, and generally have good things happen to them. This month, we celebrated one of my best friends getting engaged. To watch your friends grow and evolve is such a beautiful thing, and I left that night in awe of her. December reminded me how lucky I am to have people I am growing alongside and how fun it is to experience their pivotal moments.
This notes app confession ended up in my last newsletter- things that defined 25. 2023, as every year does, included both highs and lows. What this year forced me to remember is that life keeps going. Even when we think our world is ending, we continue to see another day. And what a lucky thing that is.
Happy New Year, friends. If 2023 was a difficult year, I’m glad you made it through. If 2023 was a good year, I hope this year continues upward. Regardless, I hope 2024 exceeds all your expectations and brings you beautiful moments, growth, and abundance.
All the love,
B xx
Been hyper fixated on Lana’s (Lizzy Grant’s) unreleased music lately 𖤐