Finding Silverish Simplicity during the holidays wasn’t easy for me but not in the way you might expect. Like the changing weather from snow, frost, rain and finally fog, the holidays were changing, too. Worrying took many forms: monitoring our children's travels, welcoming a great niece, saying goodbyes to a college friend, the beloved sister of one of my dearest friends, and my husband's cousin.

As I navigated my own illness alongside these events, I realized the overwhelming feeling wasn’t just the events themselves but the meaning and memories of each that created my own fog during the holidays.

But like a dear dependable friend, it was finding the wisdom of little things, simple things, my “go to” things that got me back on track to think about the end of the year and the hope of 2025.

The following insights are from a trusted "go to" source and one of the best podcasts I’ve listened to all year – “The Year of Wisdom” which aired on January 1, 2025, on The Daily, from The New York Times. In this thoughtful year-end episode, hosted by Melissa Kirsch, the deputy editor of Culture and Lifestyle, Ms. Kirsch gathered wisdom insights from her New York Times colleagues and readers told in their lovely voices.

While I highly recommend listening to the full podcast, I'd like to share the moments that particularly resonated with me and helped me break through the fog. Consider this longer-than-usual post my way of making up for a missed week – and trust me, these insights are worth the extra reading time. Happy New Year!

... finding the wisdom of little things, simple things, my “go to” things ...

Philip Galanes, columnist of The New York Times “Social Q’s”

What Makes Good Advice

“The mark of really great advice is listening so closely that you’re almost the same person with the person who is asking for the advice. In my experience, the best way to do it is not to think, what should I do, but really, listening to (name here) telling me about her situation and thinking, (name here) and I have this problem. We share it now. What’s the most helpful thing I can say to her to help her march toward a solution that’s going to work for her?”

Thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions

“The most common one that I hear is about diet. So if you eat 10 crappy cookies, rather than saying, let’s reduce those cookies to zero, let’s instead find the best cookie you can possibly find at the best bakery. Let’s do the legwork. Let’s find the cookie that is really going to turn you on and eat two of those in a week."

Advice for Humanity for 2025

“Let’s make 2025 the year of listening, less talking, more listening. I think it really pays off, and it also pays dividends. And I’m going to try to listen more.”

Jancee Dunn, writer for The New York Times “Well” newsletter

Don’t Chew Ice

“I interviewed eight dentists and the majority of them — I think six out of eight — first thing out of their mouths — I said, what do you want people to know? And they said, don’t chew ice. It was overwhelmingly their number one tip.”

Decluttering Mystery Chargers and Cords

“This is about decluttering — always a hit in the early part of the year. Let go of that dusty box or bag of mystery chargers and cords. We all have it … separate everything into piles, and think of all the things in your house that have cords or chargers. Go through and try them. If they don’t work, it’s likely that they don’t. I don’t want to be presumptuous. Then it’s time to drop them off at a place that accepts electronic waste.”

Feeling Cynical? Collect Moments of “Moral Beauty”

“That is a concept that was created by a researcher named Dacher Keltner, and he wrote a book called ‘Awe.’ … if you’re losing faith in people, the world, politics, whatever, he says, to take 15 minutes out of your day and pay attention to the moments of kindness all around you … There’s a lot of that out there if you pay attention. And you really only need about 15 minutes, and you can collect 10 things. And they reset you and remind you that a lot of people are good.”

Excerpts of the best advice from The New York Times readers in The Year of Wisdom:

“… when someone says, thank you, just say, you’re welcome … actually accept a ‘thank you’ with ‘you’re welcome.’”

“… everything is temporary, and I hope that applies to the head cold that I have right now.”

“… keep a list of wins … for example, my parents are in their 80s, and each time I talk to them, I consider it a win, just to be able to hear their voice and talk to them.”

“… when you put on your lipstick, use your finger* to spread it over your lips. It gives a very fresh, natural, and pouty look. And it’s what French women do, apparently. I can’t believe it.”

“… If you focus on the wound, you will continue to hurt. And if you focus on the lesson, you’ll continue to grow.”

“…never be afraid to enter into a new venture, but always be aware that you’re going to pay a dumb tax.”

“… motion is lotion … the more active I am, the less my back bothers me.”

“…raise the child you have, not raise the child you want.”

“…Such chaos that we are living in now, but nature continues in all of her glory.”

Silverish Simplicity Links

My favorites from this week to start 2025:

• The Power of Decluttering, MPR News with Angela Davis (December 30, 2024)
• Gina B Designs, ‘Tis the Season to Say Thanks!
• 12 Balanced Living Ideas for a Great New Year, The Simply Luxurious Life (January 1, 2025)

P.S. Remember my post about local loyalty programs and Gold Bond Stamps? Well, the simple joys of community connections continue! At the start of the Christmas festivities, I won the local meat raffle not once but twice in one night — proving once again that local contests bring the most delightful surprises and support good causes (in this case our local high school theater and activities). Fun and laughter with family were had celebrating the holidays including sharing and bringing home some Kimball-style winnings.

*Instead of your finger to spread the lipstick, use the Spatty I mentioned in November 9 post!