The other day, while I was trying to find the holiday music channel to play in the background as we decorated our Christmas tree, I came across a channel that made my jaw drop: The Strawberry Shortcake Channel.

You know, the sweet little cartoon girl with bright red hair and a baby sister named Apple Dumpling?

I have been a Strawberry Shortcake fan for as long as I can remember. I have vivid memories of being gifted my first Strawberry Shortcake scented plush doll and a mini Strawberry Shortcake playhouse when I was six years old. I still love finding Strawberry Shortcake merchandise as a now twenty-something. So, discovering an entire channel dedicated to Strawberry Shortcake brought me a childlike joy like no other, and it was this seemingly trivial discovery that helped change the dynamic of our Christmas tree decorating session and my mindset going into the new year.

To give context, this is our fifth Christmas season in isolation. Another Christmas grieving what we have lost, namely, friendships and support from our families, and what will never be: complete restoration of health and a full house of  loved ones, including children experiencing the wonders of Christmas through their innocent  eyes. Though I am very much at peace with our beautiful Josephite marriage, I grieve not having the option of adoption due to my prognosis, and I will always desire community and a full house at Christmas. I also know that my desire for community will only be fulfilled in Heaven when, God-willing, we get to celebrate Christmas with all the angels and saints. What a beautiful thing to which we can look forward!

Just as in previous years, preparing to decorate our Christmas tree stirred up bittersweet feelings of sorrow and disappointment, intermingled with the hope and joy that comes from reflecting on the Nativity of our Lord Incarnate. Though I still have these feelings, discovering the Strawberry Shortcake channel, as crazy as this sounds, inspired me to become more mindful of the little joys and graces around me and acknowledge the ways that God is trying to make me smile even amid the crosses of daily life. Becoming more aware of these graces can help break the monotony of our daily lives and inspire us to find beauty and even tiny amounts of comfort in every day. It also challenged me to think about how I want to approach the new year, with a sort of “grace-seeking mindset” instead of dwelling in my disappointments and even despair as I often do.

As I gradually move toward palliative care, I have been especially challenged to adopt a “grace-seeking mindset” not only to find peace and improve my quality of life, but also to become more aware of God’s unwavering presence in my life. What blessing from God brought me even the tiniest amount of joy today?

This is a photo of a snowflake that landed on my jacket sleeve when we were spending time outside. I had never seen such a perfect snowflake up close before, but it is very likely that I would have just brushed it off in the past, or let it go unnoticed as it melted. Taking a few moments to pause and just enjoy the snow, and witness God’s incredible handiwork in all of Creation – such as through the beauty and intricate detail of something so tiny as a snowflake – allowed me to recognize how God uses even small things to bring us joy and make us smile.

From Strawberry Shortcake, to God’s carefully crafted snowflakes, recognizing and enjoying the little graces with which God is blessing us has helped to break the monotony of daily life and encouraged me to keep pursuing a “grace-seeking mindset” throughout the new year. I invite you and your family to keep seeking God’s grace in daily life and allow Him to surprise you with even the littlest amounts of comfort and joy even in the midst of heavy crosses.

A.M. is a 20-something in her fourth year of marriage. She and her husband have been faithfully embracing their call to a Josephite marriage since their wedding day. She loves spending time with her husband, reading, writing, crafting, and advocating for those with chronic illness and rare diseases.