A few days before Christmas, this time earmarked for celebration and giving, I realize I don’t want to do it like I have before—and with all that has happened, politically, I’m just not feeling it, that cheerful shopping spirit; I don’t want to band-aid my feelings with external distraction.

I want instead to sink into the depth of my being, CONNECT with and express my true love for those I care for in my life. And I want my family and close friends to FEEL my love, to feel my gratitude, when I share my heart with them through my gift.

This Year’s Christmas Plan: Creating of my own hands and heart, Amelia’s too, and doing it with intentional love—as in Like Water for Chocolate’s rose petal quail, igniting love and passion in myself and others through the emotion and the making.

Breathing love and care, and forgiveness (if needed), into every scoop of the spoon and fork in the bowl (we decided to make chocolates and gluten-free baked goods this year), every fold in the paper and loop of the ribbon, we are sharing my Christmas version of Despacho, learned in the sacred mountains of Peru with Irene Ingalls and Ashera Serfatyand Q'ero shaman, Don Basilio. The energy we breathe into our offerings, filled with our hopes and desires, our love and gratitude, our blessings for a rich and vital and caring future for all, this energy sets these intentions in motion. When we step forward in love, overflowing, fully-believing love, love is what goes out to others and comes back to us.

The sweetness of the season lives here. And this year, in particular, I long for it, that sweetness. It is so needed! Don’t you agree?

This true and authentic expression of love, this forgiveness through love, this is what will bring us TOGETHER—together rather than apart. Exploring what feels sweet to you, see if you can feel it, that love, and breathe it into your gifts from your heart this year (you can practice while you’re wrapping them, or placing them under the tree—feel your love and breathe it into them, your caring gifts, and ask for it to be felt and carried forward).

With great love, from the rich wells of my heart!

To Living Sensual!

XO Piper