Hello dear ones,

I’m writing to you on the evening of Christmas Eve, from far from home, having just crossed the ocean solo with my two little boys.

It has been a splendid, yet tender, arrival.

Somewhere between airports and baggage claims, my laptop was stolen from my luggage.

And yet.

What has met us here has not been fear or scarcity—but miraculous kindness. Real, embodied kindness. Christmas angels in many forms: a propane man on just the right road, finding the number to get through to just the right person at the airport on a holiday to track down the missing luggage with all the children’s clothing in it…

Grace has been present in ways that feel unmistakable.

Tonight, my heart feels full of faith. Not because everything is easy or resolved, but because light keeps showing up anyway. Quietly. Faithfully. Often through other people.

It feels fitting, then, to share today’s story: The Star Jewels.

This is a story about a little girl who has almost nothing, and yet she keeps giving anyway. She gives bread when she is hungry. Warmth when she is cold. Help when her own arms are already tired. She does not wait for abundance. She notices what she has, and she offers it with an open heart.

And somehow—mysteriously—light begins to multiply.

This story has been sitting with me deeply in this season. It keeps asking me a gentle question:What is already in my hands that I can give?

Not money.Not perfection.But presence.Attention.Love.Faith.

Sometimes the light we are meant to share is not what we wish we had, but what is already here

May this story bless your family in this season, and may the light continue to multiply all around you ~

As parents, especially in seasons of travel, transition, financial stretch, or emotional fatigue, it can be easy to focus on what we are missing—or what we wish we could provide.

The Star Jewels offers a quiet reorientation.

Generosity does not begin with surplus.It begins with awareness.

The girl in this story does not give because she has extra. She gives because she sees the need in front of her. And what follows is not a transaction, but a mystery. A reminder that goodness has a way of circulating when we trust it enough to let it move through us.

I find myself asking, especially right now:What can my children receive from me that cannot be lost, stolen, or bought?

Time.Warmth.A steady presence.A sense of safety and trust.

You might gently ask your child:

* What did the girl give, even when it was hard?

* What do we have right now that we could share?

* How does it feel when we help someone else?

* How does the light grow and spread through this story?

This story reassures us that we do not need to manufacture magic for our children. Light grows through simple faithfulness. Through noticing. Through love that keeps offering itself, even when it feels small.

✨ A Christmas Eve Blessing

As this year draws toward its close, my prayer for you is simple:

May you notice the quiet lights already glowing in your life.May you feel peace with what is, even as you hold hope for what’s to come.And may generosity—of spirit, of attention, of love—be a source of renewal rather than depletion.

Thank you, truly, for being here. Creating these stories has been a steady light for me through a challenging season, and your presence, messages, and listening hearts have mattered more than you know.

If this story feels meaningful to you, you’re welcome to share it, leave a kind review, or support the work through a paid subscription. Each one is a small act of light, moving outward.

Wishing you a gentle Christmas Eve, filled with grace in unexpected places.🤍

Stay brave.Stay bright.And keep growing together—one story at a time. ✨

With warmth and wonder,Hannah

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