Holiday Pieces

Embracing the Cracks that Light our Path

This time of year reminds me of decorating my Christmas tree at home as a young teenager. It was one of my favorite traditions—pulling out the old boxes of ornaments up the basement steps and going through the ornaments that held memories of past years. Each one had a

story,

a SPARKLE,

or a sHiNe

that made it special. But with that excitement also came a lot of pressure.

“Oh no, oh no! Hold it! Catch it! Don’t let it break!”

The sounds of thin glass CrAcKiNg on the floor were a common part of the process. Back then, Christmas decorations were fragile. Those glass ornaments were delicate works of art, and you had to be so careful when hanging them. One slip of the string, one careless move, and the ornament would fall, shatter, and scatter into a mess of glittery pieces on the floor. And when it did, there was no fixing it. The pieces would be swept up into a dustpan,

thrown away,

and forgotten.

Next ornament…

I think about that now as an adult during this holiday season—the wrapping up of a year can be a time that, for many of us, feel like a season of brokenness. We’re surrounded by the lights, the festivities, and the joy that the holidays bring, but sometimes, behind the beauty, there are cracks.

Shattered dreams,

shattered plans,

shattered finances,

shattered relationships

—moments we held dear that slipped through our fingers and left us scrambling to pick up the pieces. And for those of us grieving a loss, the holidays can amplify the ache of what’s missing.

Reflecting on my own life, this past year has had its own share of beautiful ornaments and shattered moments. Moments I thought I could hold onto, but couldn’t.

I’ve felt the shatter in relationships that didn’t heal the way I hoped,

in weight I didn’t loose,

money I didn’t save,

mommy moments I missed,

in goals that didn’t take off the way I planned,

and in the quiet grief of missing people who aren’t here to celebrate with me.

It’s easy to want to sweep all those moments up and toss them aside, telling yourself, “I’ll try again next year” or ignore the painful truth that another year has come with another round of shattered moments.

But recently, I started asking myself: Is that really what we should do with the broken pieces of our lives?

Curious, I searched “What can you do with shattered glass?” and found something unexpected among many options—mosaic stepping stones. Maybe you’ve seen them before: beautiful stones covered in broken pieces of glass, arranged into patterns that reflect light in the most stunning way. These stones are more than just pretty art—they symbolize something powerful.

Stepping stones are about progress, about moving forward, but mosaics add another layer. They take what’s broken and turn it into beauty, creating something new that both reflects where you’ve been and guides where you’re going. When I saw those mosaics, it clicked: this is what I need to do with my own shattered experiences. There’s something deep down that doesn’t want to toss them aside and act like nothing happened. I want to gather them, honor them, and let them become part of the path I’m walking forward.

And so, as we wrap up this year and step into the next, I want to share this challenge with you.

CHALLENGE: Dear Reader, (Bridgy voice)

Think about your own shattered experiences—the things that

broke your heart,

the dreams that didn’t come true,

the moments that slipped through your fingers.

Instead of sweeping those pieces aside, how can you use them to build something new? How can you let those cracks reflect your strength, your resilience, and your journey?

Life will deal you BEAUTIFUL ornaments, although some may shattered, we get to decide what to do with the pieces. My hope for you—and for myself—is that we take those broken pieces and turn them into our mosaic stepping stones: reflections of beauty, growth, and progress.

So let’s step into the new year—not with perfect ornaments alone, but with the perfect combination of our shatter. Because the broken pieces are

delicate

beautiful parts of us.

By loving these pieces of us, we own our story—every crack, every fragment, every moment. In honoring each piece, we create and inform the narrative of who we are, allowing it to light the way forward into something meaningful and whole.

Love, Gesai