Merry Christmas, Everyone.
“The true spirit of Christmas is love.”
— Linda Willis
The song Merry Christmas by Elton John and Ed Sheeran opened space to reflect more on connection, joy, and meaning this holiday season by providing an invitation to really experience the season together, and most importantly, share it.
Alongs with another one of Elton John’s iconic piano melodies igniting the song right from the start, there are lyrics that portray familiar holiday images (mistletoe, crackling fires, loved ones gathered around the tree). But underneath these traditional cozy scenes is another warm message that connection and belonging may not always look or feel perfect, yet they are still profoundly worth noticing and taking part in.
Love That Is “The Best of All”
“We’ve both known love, but this love we got is the best of all.”
This lyric expresses the kind of love that can go beyond romantic connection. It speaks to a love that has been lived and endured, carried in the body and shaped by experience, not just imagined in our minds.
It is Love That:
Creates space for joy rooted in sincerity, not performance
Has been shaped by what it has endured together
Is felt so deep within the body in a way that words could never convey
This is the “the best of all” because it is lived, not idealized. It makes space for sincere joy, holds what has been endured together, and is experienced quietly in the body. It meets us with unconditional warmth and remains imperfectly perfect.
When Another Heart Sees Yours
“I wish you could see it through my eyes, then you would know… my God, you look beautiful.”
Capability to go beyond admiration and reflect the innate need for raw witnessing. To be seen. Understood. And most of all, relationally felt. This line resonates in moments I share with others that are not perfect or polished. Recently, when sitting in a room with people I love and care about deeply.
Around the table was:
Open expressions of heartbreak and uncertainty
Moments of shared excitement for what lies ahead
Humor that covered fear and tears
Expressions of appreciation, support, and care for each other
Honest sharing of stress, insecurity, and potential room for hope
Eyes that brightened when reunited
Laughter that softened when others spoke about heartbreak
Nothing about it was perfect. And that is what made it so beautiful.
Though I do not claim to know people better than they know themselves, there are times I wish others could see what I see. I wish they saw the strength I see in them. I wish they knew how valued they are. I wish they knew how much they matter to others. Especially, when those truths feel so distant for them. Because sometimes, another person’s view of us holds a kinder truth than the one we carry, and that truth is often what guides us back home to ourselves again.
Joy and Grief Intertwined
“Just having so much fun… while we’re here, can we all spare a thought for the ones who have gone?”
This feels most true to life’s reality, reminding us:
Joy often exists beside loss
Holidays can highlight absence and presence
Gatherings can summon laughter and tears in the same room
There are relationships we wish could still be here
There are parts of ourselves that didn’t make it to this December
The song does not ask us to move past our pain or avoid it in some way. Instead, it acknowledges that grief can sit alongside joy, and both can co-exist.
Hope Without Certainty
“I know there’s been pain this year, but it’s time to let it go… next year, you never know.”
Reminding us that we can:
Stay open to possibility, even when it feels far away
Let ourselves rest inside the unknown, rather than rush to resolve it
Trust that what feels uncertain now may be shaping what rises later
Every person I know, including myself, has carried something unavoidable this year whether it be loss, fear, exhaustion, disappointment, or uncertainty. This lyric is important because it welcomes hope back into our lives and reminds us that we do not need all the answers to remain open to what is possible.
Love Helps Us Carry On
“I feel it when it comes… every year, helping us carry on. Filled up with so much love. All the family and friends all together.”
This line is a powerful reminder that love in its imperfect and unpolished forms still carries us through what we cannot carry alone. When we gather with others, it is the presence of care, connection, and shared life that move through our bodies, settling within our hearts. In these moments, even the smallest gestures of togetherness can restore a sense of balance, belonging, and ease.
Here, together, we are felt.
Here, together, we belong.
“Merry Christmas, everyone.” – Elton John
Reflections on Connection, Presence, and Love that Carries On
With whom or in what spaces do you sense love surrounding you, even when life feels messy?
Who has reflected your worth, strength, or internal beauty back to you when you could not see it yourself? If no one outwardly has, who might recognize it if they could?
What moments of connection or togetherness (big or small) bring a sense of restoration or calm into your life?
How might you offer someone else the gift of being seen this season?
