Sean Dengler. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

With the holiday season here, it is time for reflection. Whether with family, friends, or yourself, this is a wonderful time of year to come together for reflection. Take the time this holiday season to relax and reflect on what was, what is, and what will be.

Holidays are a way to make individuals unwind and slow down from the everyday rush of life. Unless one is a banker or adjacent to the banking industry, the next holiday is not until Memorial Day after New Year’s Day has passed. This is the time to figure out what to improve or forget in one’s life.

Life gets back to normal after the succession of Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s. After New Year’s Day, life goes full speed. A portion of the holiday season should be devoted to mindfulness and being present. This is one of the few times throughout the year where life is not coming full speed.

If you are with friends or family, take the time to catch up with one another. Learn how each other has been and what they plan to do. The holidays bring people together so take the time to enjoy them. Humans are social creatures. Stick around a little longer and enjoy each other’s presence.

If the calling for one is to find one’s own space, go for it. Sometimes, stepping away from the grind is a clever idea. Do what makes one feel reinvigorated when January rolls around. Drink hot chocolate and warm the soul. Let everything else come into focus.

The holidays can be stressful. Whether it is trying to make meals or traveling long distances, the stress is understandable. It is more important to find the value and worth of one’s time and mind in this space. Make the holidays work for you and what will make it more enjoyable. The holidays are meant to be pleasant.

I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the holiday season. I am thankful and appreciative of the readers and the North Tama Telegraph for giving me page space. Anyone who has passed along kind words about my writing, thank you. I love giving back to the community through writing. I might squeeze one more piece in before the end of 2024. Otherwise, I will see you in 2025.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, farmer, and host of the Pandaring Talk podcast who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.