Dear Mom, How Do I Host When What I Need is a Quiet Christmas?

The lunch that started this week’s column was small on purpose — five friends, chicken pot pie, pound cake, and no reason to rush anywhere afterward.

It opened a conversation about the holidays that many of us don’t often name out loud: what to do when the season is meaningful, but our energy is limited. When the heart wants care more than company.

This week’s Dear Mom column reflects on hosting in those moments — on scale, discernment, and the quieter forms of hospitality that often matter most in December.