December is often described as a season of joy, celebration, and togetherness—but for many families, especially adoptive, kinship, foster-connected, and guardianship families, the holidays are far more layered. This month can bring magic and warmth, yes… but it can also stir up memories, grief, unmet expectations, and emotional overwhelm. At Kindred Hearts, we honor the full spectrum of holiday experience. You don’t have to feel only one way this season. You just have to know you’re not alone as you feel it.
Our December programming reflects that truth. The events on our calendar; Dinner Made Easy nights, respite celebrations, teen groups, caregiver support gatherings, are intentionally created to give families simple moments of connection and relief during a time that can feel both beautiful and heavy. Each activity provides space to breathe, to play, to be supported, and to experience community without pressure.
This season also has a way of bringing grief to the surface. For some, it’s the first holiday without a loved one. For others, it’s the ache of how different your family looks or feels from what you once imagined. Many caregivers carry quiet, unspoken grief for the holidays they hoped their child could experience; simple, peaceful, predictable… and the reality that regulation, trauma histories, or family dynamics can make that difficult. And our children, even in joyful moments, may feel the invisible pull of their past: birth families, memories of instability, traditions that were lost, or longings they don’t yet have words for.
If this is your family’s experience, we want you to know this: nothing is wrong with you. Nothing is wrong with your child. And nothing about your holiday needs to match anyone else’s.
There is no “right way” to do December.
There is no checklist you have to complete.
There is no comparison worth making between your family and someone else’s carefully curated holiday highlight reel.
This season, we encourage you to approach your home with gentleness. Lower the bar where you can. Set boundaries where you need to. Create moments of connection that feel doable… five minutes of presence counts. Traditions can be reimagined. Plans can be simplified. And it’s okay if joy and grief sit next to each other at the table this year.
As always, our support groups remain a grounding space for caregivers to feel understood, validated, and connected. Our youth events continue to offer safe, joyful environments for kids and teens to regulate, relate, and play. And our respite programs give families the gift of breathing room, something every parent deserves especially during the holidays.
From our hearts to yours, we want you to know:
No matter what this December brings—joy, grief, laughter, heaviness, or a mix of it all—Kindred Hearts is here for you.
You belong in this community. You and your family are held with compassion.
Here’s to a season of connection, gentleness, and hope.
Haley Bagnaschi | Executive Director
