When I sat down to pen this piece, I had to go right back to January to think of the year that was. As with any reflection, it took time to recall all the life events that occurred, so the words didn’t exactly flow. In fact, it took me the best part of a day to really express.

This year was mammoth, not just for me or my family or business, but for all in all aspects. Some parts blurry, most parts heartache and other parts rewarding, we’ve somehow survived the unsteady rollercoaster of 2020, and now find ourselves navigating (and adjusting to) a new way of life. 

I think there's beauty in what this year gave us, being the signs and opportunity to make changes to the way our wheels were once turning. 

We’ve slowed down. We’ve relinquished control. We’ve changed. Grown, in fact. And, I’m sure, in ways, we’re grateful. I hope, actually, if anything this year has really taught us to be grateful even with the uncertainty surrounding our future.

We can’t continue to wish our lives away. Wish for Friday on a Monday, wish for January 1, 2021, wish for things to return to normal. What even is normal? 

We have to embrace ‘the now’, focus on the good and appreciate the lessons in order to remain sane and generate happiness. Yes, even when it seems completely impossible.  

Amidst all the responsibilities, family and work commitments, make time to connect to ‘you’ this holiday season. Laugh / paint / meditate / cry / hug / love / dance / sing...loudly  - do ‘you’ so you can rise in 2021 brighter and lighter. 

I’ll leave you with this poem, for Cleo Wade summed up the year perfectly. It is okay, you’re okay, and if you’re not today, that’s okay too.

Merry Christmas from the team at COMB. Be safe and kind to one another. 

With love and gratitude,
Emily, bubba Miller and Arabella xx

It is okay (a poem of validation for the year 2020) 

It is okay to leave this year behind

It is okay if you haven’t found a silver lining since February

It is okay if all of that spiritual or emotional work you were planning to do on yourself never ended up happening

It is okay if you didn’t read a single book all the way through or you read a book every day because fiction felt safer than real life

It is okay if you didn’t become an expert chef and your banana bread never came out quite right

It is okay if you gained the weight you promised yourself you’d lose

It is okay if you watched too much tv and your kids watched too much tv too

It is okay if you cried more than you laughed, but I hope you got a few laughs in at some along the way

It is okay if you felt overwhelmed by grief, loss, sadness, confusion, and fatigue – we all felt some version of these and if you are reading this right now, you made it through.

It is okay to close your eyes and say to yourself,

I am a strong, resilient, badass.

It is okay if, after you said that, you opened your eyes and still felt worried

I worry too.

It is okay to stop everything for five minutes, put on your favorite song, and dance with your family or by your damn self.

It is okay to find joy in the midst of darkness

It is okay, to sit down and just breathe.

It’s okay if you didn’t realize how much you actually liked spending the holidays in your hometown until you couldn’t do it

It is okay if the added roles, responsibilities, and jobs have felt crushing

It is okay if you couldn’t do it all.

None of us can.

It is okay if you had to cut back on spending and teach your kids that life is not about what you have but who you are with.

It is okay if on the surface everything seems fine but deep down, your heart is broken and the pain is bone deep.

It is okay to ask for help even if you don’t think you deserve it.

It is okay to rest.

It is okay to admit that this was the worst year of your life or miraculously ended up being the best

And it is okay if

you are not okay at all

and what you really need to hear is…

It will be okay.

somehow, someway, someday.

It will be okay.

source: Vanity Fair