Before the Year Asks Anything Else of You.

A body letter, a softer way forward, and...me, walking the talk.

Dec 29, 2025

I’ve decided to walk the talk—and by that I mean, honoring my own need for rest and slowness.

So, I’m not putting out a podcast episode today for the first time in…forever? I can’t remember the last time I skipped a Monday release.

If you’re in need of something to listen to, my holiday Q&A episode covers body image, food guilt, comparison, and boundaries in this season. And this one about aging (with the wonderful Deb Benfield) is a beautiful conversation about body liberation.

I do have two things for you, though.

First, a year-end body letter / poem / stream of consciousness. And second, a few gentle reminders for anyone who needs a little extra body compassion right now.

Before we get into that, a gentle reminder that as a big thank you (or: “wow, we made it through this year somehow”) gift…

I’m offering 25% off paid subscriptions now through the end of the month. This comes to about $4 per month.

Get 25% off for 1 year

A year-end body letter:

your worth did not change
with your body this year.

not when it softened.
not when it grew.
not when it refused to obey
the plans you were told
would fix everything.

your worth stayed intact
through “skipped workouts”
and late-night snacks.
through the hunger you honored
and the fullness you didn’t apologize for.

because there are things that
matter more than shrinking...

eating without negotiating.
rest without repayment.
pants chosen for comfort, not aspiration.
bread that tastes like relief.

a body that adapted—
to stress, to grief, to joy.
a metabolism doing its quiet,
protective work.

a nervous system learning
that food will keep coming.
and you unlearning
the lie that discipline is love.

remembering that care is steady,
sometimes boring,
always radical.

oh, and coffee with sugar…

second helpings without a story,
only made kinder
by mornings without redemption plans.

the moment you stopped asking
how to make yourself smaller
and started asking
how to make your life gentler.

this year asked a lot of you.
bodies were disappearing,
wondering—
is it enough yet?
am I enough now?

all that deprivation
dressed up as status.
and still, you fed yourself...

you ate to feel, to grieve,
to grapple, to know—
your value will never be measured
in pounds, in progress photos,
in smaller meals or a smaller presence.

it lives in your laughter,
your boundaries,
your staying.

so now there is nothing left
to earn. to do. to fix.
just a body to live in.

This may contain: an image of three people standing in front of each other with their hands on the ground — all bodies are worthy bodies, please never forget that. [image by artist Rose Jaffe]

Reminders for those needing to practice more kindness towards their body in this season…(ahem, probably all of us):

Wearing comfortable clothes can make a massive difference in how you feel in and about your body.
You are worthy of being in spaces that make you feel safe and seen.
Extreme thinness is trending right now, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
You don’t have to explain or defend your body to anyone.
Photos catch a moment and a memory, not your essence.
Comparison steals presence; your body isn’t asking to be judged.
Resting your body is not something you need to earn through productivity.
Your relationship with your body is allowed to be complicated.
Loving what your body looks like is not a prerequisite for treating it with respect.

If all you did this year was keep going in a body that asked for care, that counts. That is enough. More than enough, actually.

Be kind to yourself this week.
Wear the soft clothes.
Eat the food.
Let rest be rest.
I’ll see you soon.

PS: an easy way to support my work is to hit the “like” button, comment, share, or re-stack. Truly, it matters to the dang algorithm, and helps others find this little corner of the internet.

And a few more days left to grab the 25% off!