Finding the Light — December 22nd, 2025
The winter solstice is a dark time of the year in the northern hemisphere. This is a dark time in the history of humanity, and it’s easy to get bogged down in everything that is going wrong with the world. A lot of holidays this time of year focus around light, and finding light even in the darkest part of the year. We are just now closing out Channukah, the Jewish festival of lights, where candles are lit for 8 nights in a row in commemoration of the Maccabean defeat of the Greek invaders, and are coming up on Christmas, where lights are traditionally hung in celebration of the birth of Jesus.
In honor of the solstice season, and finding the light in the darkness, this blog post is dedicated to finding a light in the darkness, or even, creating light where there is none.
For me, finding the light in my Tourette’s diagnosis has involved learning to see my diagnosis as a gift. I have several co-occurring conditions like ADHD, OCD, and a learning disability that I am still learning to navigate. I do think these conditions make me think in more inventive ways to get around problems. Of course, everyone’s experience with these conditions is different, so not everyone is going to feel like they can rightly say their differences are gifts. Wherever you are on your journey is where you are and that’s okay. Maybe for the person reading this, your differences are not your gifts, but you still have gifts regardless you can learn to appreciate and find meaning in. Everyone does.
In addition to finding gifts in what we are given, we can also find the light by finding moments of serenity and connection. The constant presence of technology can make it really hard to focus on one thing at a time and really enjoy time with family and friends. Our family celebrates Chanukah because my daughter is Jewish, and we enjoy time to light candles every evening during Chanukah, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Finding moments of connection and serenity can look different for every person, but it is important to find a way to do so to get you through difficult times. Having positive experiences is even psychologically proven to improve resiliency in the face of tough times. It’s a key part of dialectical behavioral therapy and other treatments for mental health conditions.
Finding moments of reflection is equally as important in my opinion. Reflecting can help you understand where you’ve been, where you want to go, and how to get there. Blessings, challenges, goals— they all are worthy of reflecting on.
That moves us into the second part of this post— how to not just find the light, but make the light. I have begun to make my own light through Facing Tourette’s and my work with the Tourette’s Association of America as a support group leader for the state of Colorado. Another way I make my own light is through my creative work. I am about to start rehearsals for 9-to-5 in the Denver area and I will be hosting my first TranscenDance class in just a few days! TranscenDance is a conscious dance practice that has really helped me get more in tune with my body as I process my Tourette diagnosis. You can learn more here.
There’s a lot of terrible things going on in the world right now. But learning to find light, or even going so far as to make light where there is none, creates a space where gifts break through the pain, and joys break through sorrows.
Happy holidays and thank you for Facing Tourette’s with me!
