December is supposed to feel warm.
Joyful.
Full.
But for many of us, it didn’t.
And before we rush into pretending otherwise, we want to say this clearly: you’re not alone.
For some moms, December was loud…full of planning, cooking, wrapping, coordinating, stretching money, stretching patience, stretching ourselves. For others, it was quiet in a way that felt uncomfortable. Empty, even. Some days felt heavy for reasons we can’t fully explain, and some days felt heavy because we know exactly why.
There’s a version of December that lives on social media. And then there’s the December many moms actually lived through.
The tired December.
The emotional December.
The December where you showed up anyway.
The Part No One Talks About After Christmas
Once the gifts are put away and the house gets quiet again, there’s often a strange feeling that settles in. Relief, yes…but also sadness, exhaustion, and sometimes guilt.
Guilt that we didn’t enjoy it enough.
Guilt that we lost our patience.
Guilt that we couldn’t make it feel magical all the time.
For some of us in Guyana, December also carries extra pressure, family expectations, cultural traditions, financial strain, and the unspoken belief that everything should look “together” by year’s end. That’s a lot to carry, especially when you’re already carrying everyone else.
If December felt heavier than you expected, it doesn’t mean you did something wrong. It means you’re human.
You’re Allowed to Be Tired at the End of the Year
There’s this quiet assumption that by December 31st, we should feel proud, grateful, accomplished, and hopeful…all at once.
But what if what you feel instead is just… tired?
Tired from holding things together.
Tired from being the emotional anchor.
Tired from showing up even when you were running on empty.
Ending the year tired doesn’t mean you failed. It means you’ve been doing a lot.
And if all you managed to do this month was get through the days, that still counts. That still matters.
For the Moms Who Felt Invisible This Month
Some moms felt unseen in December.
Felt like everyone else’s needs came first…again.
Felt like there wasn’t enough space to talk about what they were carrying.
If you smiled when you were hurting.
If you kept things moving when you wanted to stop.
If you cried quietly so no one would worry.
We see you.
You don’t need to explain why this month was hard. You don’t need to justify your feelings. You don’t need to wrap this year in a neat little bow.
There Is No Right Way to End the Year
Some moms are reflecting.
Some are planning.
Some are counting down.
Some are just breathing.
All of it is okay.
You don’t need a list of lessons learned. You don’t need a highlight reel. You don’t need to figure out what this year “meant.”
Sometimes, closing out the year simply looks like putting one foot in front of the other and letting yourself rest where you can.
If You’re Carrying More Than You Let On
If December stirred up grief.
If it reminded you of what changed.
If it brought back things you thought you’d moved past.
You’re not weak for feeling it. You’re not behind. You’re not broken.
Some seasons leave marks. Some years ask more from us than others. And sometimes, surviving the year is the accomplishment.
As We Step Toward a New Month
There will be plenty of voices telling you what you should fix, improve, or change next. Plenty of pressure to start fresh, do more, be more.
But before all of that, we want you to hear this:
You are allowed to end this year gently.
You are allowed to take your time.
You are allowed to begin again slowly…or not at all yet.
If December felt heavy, you didn’t imagine it.
And you didn’t carry it alone.
We’re right here with you…closing out this year not perfectly, but honestly.
And sometimes, that’s enough.
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