1. How to Live a Miraculous Life: Brian Doyle on Love, Humility, and the Quiet Grace of the Possible. “This is what I know: that the small is huge, that the tiny is vast, that pain is part and parcel of the gift of joy, and that this is love, and then there is everything else. You either walk toward love or away from it with every breath you draw. Humility is the road to love. Humility, maybe, is love.”

2. Revealed: the best Christmas gifts you’ve ever received. “Looking for festive gift inspiration? Then take a cue from Positive News readers, who reveal the most meaningful Christmas presents they have received.”

3. Underrated ways to change the world. “How to get a good heart unstuck.”

4. Poetry: Yellow Roses by Julie Barton, and One on Thanksgiving and Letter to the Parts of Me I Have Tried to Exile from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, and A Prayer for Every Day from Julia Fehrenbacher. And, this poetic wisdom from Christian Wiman when he was editor of Poetry Magazine, “Let us remember…that in the end we go to poetry for one reason, so that we might more fully inhabit our lives and the world in which we live them, and that if we more fully inhabit these things, we might be less apt to destroy both.”

5. Defying Gravity: Wicked and the Weight of Social Justice from Frederick Joseph. “A spoiler-free reflection on Wicked, fascism, Black womanhood, and white feminism.”

6. Pep Talk from Maggie Smith, “On Taking a Red Pen to Your Life.”

7. “Thank you” is a complete sentence from Seth Godin.

8. The 25 Most Influential Cookbooks From the Last 100 Years on The New York Times. (gift article) “Chefs, writers, editors and a bookseller gathered to debate — and decide — which titles have most changed the way we cook and eat.”

9. An I.V.F. Mix-Up, a Shocking Discovery and an Unbearable Choice on The New York Times. (gift link) “Two couples in California discovered they were raising each other’s genetic children. Should they switch their girls?”

10. Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD podcast with Abigail Rose Clarke. “In this episode we dive into Abigail’s new book, Returning Home to Our Bodies: Reimagining the Relationship Between Our Bodies and the World. Abigail shares tips and tools for finding grounding and support within our very own bodies, especially during times of overwhelm, stress or turmoil. Abigail and I explore the power of awe and curiosity, we discuss what it means to be in relationship with the world around us, and Abigail offers tips for how we can stay rooted in love, even when our lives are challenging.”

11. When No Thing Works with Norma Wong on How to Survive the End of the World Podcast. “adrienne and Autumn sit down with great teacher, Norma Wong, whose new book, When No Thing Works: A Zen and Indigenous Perspective on Resilience, Shared Purpose, and Leadership in the Timeplace of Collapse, was released the day after the election. Wong brings her years of organizing, electoral work, and spiritual practice to bear on this moment of collapse, with wisdom, wit, and deep care for all life.”

12. Interdependence is a Survival Skill, But Shouldn’t Feel Like Building a Bunker. “Channeling urgency into commitment, not panic.”

13. I Want You To Be Both Gentle and Tough With Yourself from Jamie Attenberg. “I want you to be both gentle and tough with yourself. I want you to notice what you need and then take care of it. I want you to love yourself and challenge yourself. And I want you to make your goddamn art.”

14. Episode 126: Creativity in Dark Times on Emerging Form. “How does creativity help us meet a difficult time? In this episode, co-hosts Christie Aschwanden and Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer talk about ways that creative practice can nourish us, how it can help us envision a way forward, how it helps us to widen the lens and see beyond the moment, how it helps us embrace paradox, opens us to connection, and more.”

15. Healing, Grief & Learning From The Bees: Michelle C. Johnson – Into Healing S2, Ep.7. “Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an author, activist, spiritual teacher, practitioner, racial equity consultant, and intuitive healer. In this episode, she shares her powerful journey through grief, healing, and transformation. Michelle explores the deep traumas rooted in societal injustices and offers insight into the spiritual practices that have guided her work with individuals in crisis. She emphasizes the vital role of community, nature, and ancestral wisdom in personal and collective healing. With a passion for beekeeping, Michelle draws meaningful parallels between the lives of honeybees and human experiences, reflecting on adaptability, collective responsibility, and the quiet strength of selflessness. Through her story, she invites listeners to reflect on the importance of communal healing, spiritual connection, and the unseen ways we contribute to a better world.”

16. 6 Ways To Be Kind To Your Body During The Holidays.

17. Bye, Bezos: People Are Leaving Amazon’s Goodreads For A New Book-Reading App.

18. 100 Notable Books of 2024 on The New York Times. (gift link) In related news, NPR 2024 Books We Love.

19. After Beloved Pilot Dies in Crash, 2 Rescue Dogs Rescue Themselves on The New York Times. (gift link) “Seuk Kim was transporting three rescue dogs from Maryland to Albany, N.Y., when his plane crashed in the Catskill Mountains. Two of the dogs managed to survive.” In related news, The life and work of Seuk Kim, pilot and animal rescuer.

20. In The Fight Against Tyranny, Don’t Let Your Happiness Depend On Big Wins.

21. Ira Glass admits he plays a ‘nicer version’ of himself on the radio.

22. 15 LGBTQ+ Movies With Guaranteed Happy Endings. “From Big Eden to Bound, we curated a list of films that won’t leave you in tears. The sad kind, anyway.”

23. My friend was a popular, promising artist – how did he end up on the streets of Portland, addicted and dangerous? “When I first met Evan B Harris he was fizzing with talent and kindness. So I was shocked to hear he had become homeless and out of control. What happened to him is a story playing out in cities across America.”

24. Rare Interview ⭐️ Charlie Mackesy on ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ 5th Anniversary. “Bestselling author and Academy Award winner Charlie Mackesy joins the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with The National Lottery for a very rare interview about the special 5th anniversary edition of ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.'” 

25. And finally, this random collection of things I saved on my phone this week.