Reindeer Games: The Bloom From the Broken Holiday Special

December has a way of stirring up every old wound you thought you’d finally outrun. Lights go up, music gets louder, and the world demands cheer, even when your heart is carrying grief, estrangement, disappointment, or the weight of a childhood you still haven’t fully untangled. For some of us, the holidays don’t feel magical. They feel heavy. They feel sharp. They feel like we’re being pulled back into versions of ourselves we’ve worked so hard to outgrow.

In this long-form holiday special, we’re talking about the emotional “reindeer games” families play—the silent expectations, the guilt invitations, the manipulation wrapped in nostalgia, and the classic line so many adult children know too well: “Just give it time. You’ll get over it.” We explore what it means to grow up in a family where no one apologizes, where accountability is seen as conflict, where responsibility is always redirected onto the most self-aware person in the room.

We talk about how siblings become translators for parents who never learned emotional literacy. How boundaries trigger panic in family systems built on denial. And how the holidays amplify every role you were forced to play: the fixer, the peacekeeper, the one who let things slide “for the sake of Christmas.” If you’ve ever been labeled the difficult one simply because you chose honesty over tradition, this episode is for you.

We also talk about motherhood during December—the invisible labor, the pressure, the exhaustion, and the quiet miracles women create every year. We highlight the mothers doing Christmas on shoestring budgets, the single moms making magic with nothing but willpower and Dollar Store wrapping paper, the women who hold entire households together with grit and tenderness. You are the holiday miracle, even if no one says it.

We talk about partners—how husbands can support, how emotional load is shared (or not shared), and how important it is for women to feel seen, not just helped. We talk about kids—the overstimulation, the meltdowns, the tiny joys, and the hopeful new traditions you get to build from scratch.

And finally, we close with comfort rituals, music that soothes, movies that ground, and gentle ways to reclaim December for yourself. This might be the year you stop playing reindeer games. The year you choose peace. The year you protect your joy without apology. The year you create a version of Christmas that doesn’t hurt.

If the holidays have ever made you feel lonely, overwhelmed, unseen, or guilty for needing space—this episode is your home for the next little while.

Take a breath.
You’re safe to be honest here.
You’re allowed to choose a softer December.