This time last year, I asked you to unplug, look up, and name what you’re thankful for. I shared how thankful I am for my family, the honor of serving House District 52, and the hard but necessary choice to step away from leadership so I could be more present here at home.
That column still sits on my desk, a quiet reminder that the best things in life don’t trend on social media — they happen in kitchens, on front porches, and around holiday tables. This year, those words feel even more urgent.
2025 tested us. Wildfires again scorched our hillsides. Inflation gnawed at paychecks. The assassination of Charlie Kirk in September shook many to the core, a brutal punctuation mark on a year of shouting past one another. In moments like these, it’s tempting to retreat, to armor up with outrage. But our communities have never been built on retreat. We’re the people who rebuild bridges after floods, who pass the hat when a neighbor’s barn burns, who show up — together.
Let’s give last year’s message room to breathe. Let’s honor it by living it. This holiday season, give yourself — and each other — space. Space to grieve what’s been lost. Space to laugh without apology. Space to disagree without disdain. Because unity doesn’t mean we all think alike; it means we refuse to let differences drown out our shared love for each other.
I see that love everywhere as I travel throughout the district. From those who opened their homes to friends and neighbors displaced by the fires this summer, to businesses and organizations coming together to help those who were short SNAP benefits this fall. As your representative, I continue to be grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me. I’m grateful for the late-night texts from constituents who just needed to be heard. I’m grateful for my wife’s steady hand and my kids’ unfiltered joy when the Christmas tree goes up. And I’m grateful for you — for choosing, again and again, to build rather than burn.
So, light the candles. Pour the cocoa. Sing off-key if you must. Let the river keep rolling and the wind keep whispering through the pines throughout our district. This December, let’s choose joy on purpose. Let’s choose thanksgiving as an act of defiance against despair. The challenges of 2025 don’t get the last word. We do. From our home to yours — may your holidays be warm, your hearts full, and your hope louder than any headline.
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