A collective sigh

Unfixed video

The year is coming to a close. In the silence, perhaps we can hear a collective sigh. Not so much a sigh of relief as a unified exhale, a laying down of arms, disappointments and heaviness. Just as trees cyclically lay down their verdant promise, eventually to be buried under snow and winter rain, in this season we, too, are asked to let go. Pause. Allow the darkness to be a welcome and necessary friend. Hope will arrive, but it's not time. The natural retreat of this season mirrors so much of the Unfixed life and the many ways chronic illness has pulled us into a solitude and reflection that is often saved for the "later years of life." We're learning to embrace our own rhythms, question our conditioning, tend to our deepest longings. And often that means our lives look very different than what society expects from us. Our pace is slower. Our tables may be more empty and our calendars uncluttered with holiday obligations, but what arises from the silence is the clarity of our own unique voice.

Over the course of two years, the Unfixed cast explored these voices. Refining them through honest self-reflection and courageous offering. The process of listening and sharing transformed us into more inclusive, radiant expressions of what it means to be human. 

Thank you to our devoted readers, listeners and viewers this year. Your willingness to be present with our stories has been an act of radical and necessary compassion. Not turning away from the pain and challenges of living with chronic conditions has helped stoke an inner radiance alive and well in all of us, even during the darkest of seasons.

So without further ado, enjoy Our Unfixed Holiday as you relax into yours. True to the diversity of the cast, this video is abundant with opposites—merriment and conflict, family and solitude. We even have a little Elvis impersonation for you. 

CLICK THE VIDEO BELOW TO WATCH OUR UNFIXED HOLIDAYS!