1. Poetry: Ledge (ars poetica) (love poem) (true story) by Amorak Huey and Laura, I Want You Pulling Your Hair Back by Natalie Dunn and /’mīgrent/ by Tiana Nobile and Do You Consider Writing to be Therapeutic? by Andrew Gracev and Tea by Leila Chatti, all shared on The Slowdown with Maggie Smith, and Recess by Diana Goetsch, and This, Too, Is What I Was Born For and What Leaves Us and The Gift by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, and Oranges by H. R. Webster, and all there is by Maya Stein, and Regenerative from Julie Barton, and When the Power Went Out by Jennifer Moxley shared by Patti Digh, and Generosities by James Crews, and Presence by Naila Francis on Heart Poems, and Stay by Julia Fehrenbacher, and my father was not the eldest by Fatimah Asghar.

2. Good stuff from The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz: A Letter to the Heartbroken (“Stay in the small and the close and in this breath”), and The Republican Healthcare Plan: Suffering, Bankruptcy, and Death, and Dear Donald, We Dissent, and ‘What Child Is This?’ Why Followers of Jesus Should Have No Peace This Christmas, and We Can’t Change These Hateful People, America. We Have to Outnumber Them.

3. Fortune Cookie Fortunes. “Below is a list of fortune cookie fortunes that I’ve received in alphabetical order. A number in parenthesis after the fortune indicates that I’ve received it multiple times, and how many times I’ve received it. This list is updated each time I have Chinese food.” I have so much respect for the dedication required to keep up with such a “dumb” project. A great reminder that not everything you do has to be so serious.

4. Favorite Books of 2025 from Maria Popova on The Marginalian. In related news, What Books Showed Up Across All The “Best Of 2025” Lists?

5. Glad You’re Here, “Simple as that,” a sweet cartoon from Connie Sun.

6. Emerging Form Episode 153: Todd Mitchell on How a Breakdown Led to a Breakthrough. “‘I had to reassess how I approached creativity and life in general,’ says author Todd Mitchell. In this episode of Emerging Form, we speak with the award-winning author about how to re-envision our creative practice, how to re-think our definition of success and what makes a creative practice sustainable. We also talk about why jelly beans might be an essential item in any creative’s toolbox, habits that help us return to the page another day, and practices that help us identify where our ego is getting in the way.”

7. Good stuff from Courtney Carver on Be More With Less: Questions to Explore When Decluttering Your Life and Feel Unhappy? Stop Doing These 8 Things.

8. On Getting Up Early in December. “Medical Gaslighting and Why It Took Me A Month to Stand Up for Myself” by Elissa Altman.

9. Your Kitchen Objects Are Filled with Feelings. “In The Heart-Shaped Tin, Bee Wilson has collected a veritable feast of short, snackable, yet satiated pieces on the way kitchen objects accumulate meaning in our lives, from toast racks to neglected china sets, from the pie tin of the book’s title to the implement that allows you to create a taste of home when you’re thousands of miles from it. This is a format that could get very boring very quickly, but in Wilson’s hands, every story has a small turn of the screw — a surprise, a revelation, a quiet denouement that imprints the story on the reader. I find the whole thing marvelous. I hope you’ll get a sense of how special this book is from our conversation.”

10. Max the Scared Horse. It’s embarrassing how many times I have watched this short video, or how much I’ve laughed. This guy’s whole channel is pretty funny.

11. The perfect (worst) end to the perfect (worst) year, “In which i talk about the very worst way to end 2025, and then do exactly that” by Jonathan Edward Durham.

12. My petty gripe: why do we have to review everything now? “I don’t really believe that companies would love my feedback, nor that my opinion matters to them. So why do they keep asking for them?”

13. The one change that worked: I started bringing my own takeaway box to every meal – and sparked a mini movement. “Every year, 1bn tonnes of food are wasted. I value my meals and the work that has gone into them, so I am now always prepared and ready to take home delicious leftovers.” I think this practice of leaving the leftovers must be an English thing, as here in “America” we seem to love our “doggy bag,” and yet, it is a good idea to bring your own container to cut down on that particular aspect of restaurant waste.

14. December is not a deadline. “Nothing needs to be decided yet” on The Tiny Joy Project, “a soft pause in a loud world. I’m just a regular overthinking millennial trying to slow down and notice the good stuff, sunsets, kind cashiers, the first sip of coffee. This is my attempt to bottle that feeling and hand it to you (without spilling it all over myself in the process).”

15. This Is How Fast a Social Media Detox Can Boost Your Mental Health. “New research shows big benefits in a short time.”

16. 7 Gentle Movements to Help You Feel Like Yourself Again After the Holidays. “The goal of the Mind Body Energy Movement routine is to naturally increase energy levels, connect the mind and body, improve sleep, promote longevity, and support the joints, organs, and lymphatic system. And as it turns out, these are reasonable claims, given the robust evidence1 tying Tai Chi to lower chronic disease, pain, arthritis, and fall risk in older adults (all of which support longevity); Qi Gong to better cognitive function1, mental health, and quality of life2; and Chinese martial arts—like Shaolin—to improved mental3 and physical health. These movements are reminiscent of what you might do bouncing on a trampoline or having a dance party with your closest friends. Jumping around, swinging your arms, marching, and twisting are all on the docket.”

17. The Fragile Heart’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays.

18. 28 End of Year Journal Prompts to Close the Year with Clarity.

19. The Exhaustion of Poverty by Gina Luker. “Every time I restock the free little market on our sidewalk, I’m reminded that hunger is never just about food. Food is the surface layer — the part people can see. But beneath it lives an entire world of exhaustion, decision fatigue, nervous system overload, and the quiet, relentless work of trying to stay afloat.”

20. This year, extremely powerful people with terrible intentions did everything they could to break our spirits (and yet!). “My favorite thing about 2025 was us, and how we didn’t take the bait” by Garrett Bucks on The White Pages.

21. Closer Than You Think. “Dreams and oneness and purpose, oh my” by Jena Schwartz.

22. Australia launches youth social media ban it says will be the world’s ‘first domino.’ “More than 1 million social media accounts held by users under 16 are set to be deactivated in Australia in a divisive world-first ban that is being closely watched elsewhere.” Wow.

23. Having A Serviceberry Christmas. “Honoring relationship over retail” by Patti Digh.

24. 2025 holiday gift guide on Cup of Jo.

25. How to Create an At-Home Residency. An interview with Kristen Arnett & Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya by Jami Attenberg on Craft Talk.