| Hello there, treasured reader! Guess what?! I was a returning guest on The Family Skeptical podcast, where Moms, Pops, and I talked about Christmas for secular families. |
| I recently took some time away from work to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday. Travel always gives me perspective, and this trip left me overflowing with gratitude. As the year comes to a close, I find myself looking back at the experiences I’ve had and the things I’ve learned.This year, I’ve continued finding ways to serve our secular community. I was a podcast guest several times and completed my first commissioned piece. And I finally finished a new ornament concept I started last year—this time in plastic, since last year’s attempt resulted in a trip to urgent care and some glue to close a laceration. I’ll be avoiding glass from here on out. When I start concepting a piece, I usually begin with something that inspired me and won’t let go. I don’t always know where it will end up, and it often goes through several iterations while I’m working. My family always knows when I have a piece in progress because they find versions on every surface and field my constant requests for feedback. Remember that Thomas Paine quote I shared last month? I have two new ornaments this year, both inspired by those words—exploring ideas about reason, hope, and the work we do for those who come after us. Rainbow Gradient Thomas Paine Christmas Ornament |
| “We have it in our power to being the world over again.” was included in Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense. It was a call to action and statement of hope for the future. Never have those words or that sense of hope and fortitude felt more necessary. A perfect way to show your values! This is a limited run piece.Buy now |
| As we look ahead to the winter holidays, I want to share a celebration you may not know about: HumanLight. Created in 2001 by the New Jersey Humanist Network, it’s a specifically Humanist holiday for December. It exists alongside other winter celebrations, providing secular families with a way to mark the season while emphasizing reason, compassion, and hope for human progress. I’d be curious—are there ways you incorporate these ideals into your own holiday traditions?I’m also continuing my revision of Christmas for Atheists as a book for families, and I’m looking for people to interview about their secular Christmas traditions. If you’d be willing to share yours, just reply to this email. |
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