Midlife Musings December
Life Lately, Holiday Resources, Videos & Love
Welcome to the December edition of my cozy corner on Substack!
I’m honored to be back inside your inbox with this latest edition of Midlife Musings and hope it will offer a dose of soul balm. As mentioned in this welcome post, monthly I’ll share midlife inspiration through this newsletter, plus weekly releases of Tranquility du Jour Season 2 podcasts on all things midlife.
Inside this month’s edition, you’ll find:
a regular peek into life lately
an essay on navigating a less than tranquil time
an Ask-A Therapist video in conversation with The Empress
tranquility-infused gift giving ideas
an invitation to a free January 5 community event, A Tranquil New Year
And now, let’s continue into our tenth edition of Midlife Musings. I’m delighted you’re here! Please hit reply and let me know what’s resonating most here.
PS I hope you enjoyed your previous Midlife Musings newsletters and have a chance to peruse additional posts waiting for you here, too.
PPS Clicking the heart at the top or bottom of this email makes it easier for others to find Midlife Musings. 💗 Oh, and it also warms my heart!
PPPS Wondering who’s midlife? Read more here. In short, I view it as 35+. All are welcome, of course!
PPPPS For a dose of midlife inspo, check out these fun features on The Midst, The Empress, and a podcast interview with Broche Ballet on ballet in midlife!
Life Lately: A Peek Inside
Please join me in taking a pause to consider your own life lately: highlights, observations, and challenges.
What I’m working on:
Opening Coterie doors (waitlist opens this weekend!)
Pause & Plan: a bonus Coterie member and waitlist event
January’s A Tranquil New Year free event (save your spot)
What I’m loving:
Peonies at Trader Joe’s
Sharing inspiring interviews in Season 2 of the podcast
Twinkle lights, holiday tunes, peppermint candy
What I’m consuming:
Watching Shrinking
Listening to Air Supply and this holiday jazz Spotify playlist
Reading Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife by Barbara Bradley Hagerty
What I’m wearing:
A tiered black chiffon dress from Goodwill (shown above)
Sparkly barettes and this vegan Rebel in Red lip gloss
A gorg black faux fur coat from Goodwill (shown above)
What I’m noticing:
Deep gratitude for the work I get to do
A blend of holiday anxiety and excitement
Challenges of navigating the unknown (essay below)
Your turn. What are you working on, loving, consuming, wearing, and noticing?
Navigating A Less Than Tranquil Time
Reflections on highs and lows.
The day before Thanksgiving, my partner tested positive for COVID. That same day, we learned a family member had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, my aging dog was struggling, and I received word that a longtime client had passed from a lifelong health condition. This COVID-tinged Thanksgiving was a stark reminder of how holidays can shift when loved ones are absent, or not quite themselves. It was as though life had whispered a reminder: everything is fragile.
The week before, I’d celebrated a soul-soothing friendaversary weekend in NYC, a gift of connection and joy that I didn’t realize was preparing me for what was to come. After the news, I sang my heart out at an Air Supply concert (tickets I’d been looking forward to since February), visited family in Oklahoma, and hosted an intimate holiday tea at chez moi (how-to IG reel forthcoming!). These pre-planned experiences felt serendipitous—like little glimmers sprinkled into life’s unpredictability.
In midlife, we’re always adjusting—adapting to the surprises, losses, and changes that life inevitably brings. What I’ve learned during these rough patches is the power of small, steady habits—simple routines that create a sense of normalcy and comfort, no matter what’s swirling around me.
• Mornings: I start my day quietly—just a few minutes to breathe, sit, and notice how I’m feeling, without judgment.
• Evenings: I end my day with a soak in the tub—an opportunity to quiet my mind and nourish my body with gentle relaxation.
• Journaling: A safe space to pour out worries, sadness, and confusion, helping me process what’s on my heart.
• Movement: A short walk after lunch, yin yoga, or a virtual ballet class clears my mind and reconnects me to my body.
• Connection: When I feel the need for support, I reach out—sometimes it’s a quick text or call to a close friend or family member. These small moments remind me that I’m not walking this path alone.
I’m learning to accept that life’s cycles—joyful and heartbreaking alike—are part of being human. The pain of loss, uncertainty, or change can’t be erased, but these small practices offer moments of steadiness and remind me that beauty still exists.
So if you’re navigating your own rocky patch, take it one steady movement at a time—small breaths, gentle steps, simple joys. They matter. They’re enough. And they’ll guide us forward.
Give Gift of Tranquility
Your tranquility-infused holiday gift guide.
This holiday season, consider wrapping up the gift of tranquility for someone you love. Whether it’s a paid Substack subscription filled with monthly inspiration, one of my lifestyle book or planners to curl up with, a signature tee, a digital course to support their journey, a yearlong Coterie experience, or personalized coaching sessions that gently guide them toward their dreams, these offerings invite meaningful moments of stillness and growth.
Give the gift that nurtures the soul and helps them (or YOU!) embrace serenity all year long.
Ask-A-Therapist
Ideas for finding calm right now.
I recently sat down with Alisa Jones of The Empress to answer questions about navigating a variety of challenges that may come along with this time of the year. From navigating family estrangement, to setting boundaries, to managing peri/menopausal symptoms and hormone-driven emotions, to descalating. You’ll find the hour-long interview here. Let me know how it resonates!
Crave even more resources for this season? I also have this video on holiday tranquility that you may enjoy.
Community Event: A Tranquil New Year
Discover 2025 tranquility tips.
Join us for A Tranquil New Year on Sunday, January 5. This free heartwarming gathering is designed to help you embrace the fresh start ahead with clarity, creativity, and calm. Together, we’ll set soulful intentions for 2025 and explore tips to infuse your year with balance, beauty, and purpose.
Get an exclusive peek inside the Coterie, a nurturing community designed to support your growth and dreams throughout the year. Let’s sip tea, journal, and step into the new year feeling inspired, grounded, and ready to shine. Bring your journal, a favorite tea, and an open heart. Save your spot here.
Recent Tea with Kimberly Video
Your Tranquility Tips
In this episode of Tea with Kimberly, I share part four in a four-part Midlife Tranquility series on creating your vision.
Grab your journal, a cuppa tea, and be inspired to reflect this time of the year. You’ll find more Tea with Kimberly videos over on the Tranquility du Jour YouTube channel including the three others on midlife tranquility.
Subscribe to Tranquility du Jour on YouTube.
How I Can Support You
Tranquility Coterie yearlong program (doors open late December)
Subscribe to my Private Substack Collection
About Me
Hello! I'm a psychotherapist in Washington, DC, author of seven lifestyle books (next one on midlife), and host of the Tranquility Coterie. I’m in love with my 50s, ballet, pigs, pugs, and orangutans (random mix, I know!). I support women in finding more balance, beauty, and tranquility during this second half of life. More on my website and on Instagram.
A portion of all offerings support Pigs & Pugs Project, Borneo Orangutan Survival, and 1% for the Planet. Thank you for helping to make a difference!
Sending you and Tim big hugs! Can’t wait to see you in January! 💕💕💕
Wonderful interview with Alisa; I'm grateful to add the STOP strategy to my well-being tool box! 🦋