Home for the holidays hits a little different this year...
Through the months that feel like years, we all will be together — whether in spirit and in heart, or in person (if we can).
2020 has brought pain and weariness, struggle and strife, but we did it. We made it through nearly a whole year of our first ever pandemic lockdown, and even though we’re not completely out of the woods, we’ve become so much stronger together. We made it through elections and tensions, Mars retrograde, protests, quarantine, and toilet paper shortages. There’s no sugar(plum) coating it though: it’s been really, really hard.
So now, let's give ourselves a break we so much more than deserve; let’s enjoy the holidays, and all the nostalgia that comes with them. It’s time to release tensions, put the struggle of this year behind us, and escape into the warmth and glint of fond wintry memories from our happiest days — some of which are still yet to come.
Take a deep breath with us right now, and close your eyes. Imagine the scent of fresh baked cookies and soothing pine….
Envision tartan and holly berries, soft snowfall, shopping bags and big coats, and Christmas Vacation on VHS playing on the TV. A champagne coupé full of an herbaceous libation, red flannel pajamas and soft slippers, the feel of gliding scissors through shimmering wrapping paper.
Envision the glow of twinkle lights on a fragrant evergreen, the taste of crushed candy cane in a red-and-white peppermint bark, the feeling of stomach butterflies in anticipation of Christmas morning. See the perfect tie of a bow around a crisp gift box, hear the jingling of bells in your favorite yuletide song, remember cooking a meal with your loved ones. Rushing home with last minute gifts, staying up late putting them all together. Driving through neighborhoods to see the best lights, a cup of cocoa warming your hands; holding hands on a snowy stroll, stealing a clichéd kiss under mistletoe. Hugging your parents extra tight. The faintest itch of a heavy knit sweater. The joyful high of spending a beautiful meal with those dearest to you. Vintage glassware set on a deep green velvet tablecloth bedecked with garland and glitter, packed corner-to-corner with family recipes that came to life for yet another generation.
The energy in the air is different this time of year — year after year — and it offers hope. We’re looking to the New Year, standing here in a place of reflection, at home with loved ones. We’re ready to be renewed, and we’re coming together with this optimism and bright hope to move forward.
We don’t have to live in these golden-days memories to feel this joy: bring elements of these emotional souvenirs to life this season.
Create your own holiday retreat — whether that’s in your mind or in your home — of health, wellness, and joy. Focus on what matters most: taking care of your mental and physical health, driving innovation with the use of hemp, and protecting our planet with sustainability.