What We Carry Forward

On choosing what comes with us into a new year.

Written by AMANDA CHIRUMBOLO-MILLER

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There’s a quiet moment at the end of each year when everything feels paused in mid-breath. The pace slows, the air changes, and suddenly we’re aware of all the things we’ve been holding — some on purpose, some out of habit.

I’ve been thinking about that lately… how much we carry without realizing it,
and how much lighter we become when we choose differently.

In my work, I often speak about care without carrying — the practice of tending to others without absorbing what isn’t ours to hold. It’s a gentle boundary, a permission, a way of staying open without becoming overwhelmed.

But I’ve realized this applies just as much to how we care for ourselves.