Merry Christmas from My Home to Yours

linnearader
Dec 24, 2025
4 min read

It's Christmas Eve, and in a few hours, my house will be full of John's mom's side of the family. There will be a buffet spread across the kitchen counter, conversations happening in every corner, laughter bouncing off the walls. It's informal, it's comfortable, and it's one of my favorite nights of the year.

Tomorrow morning, my boys (19 and 14 now, can you believe it?) will wake me up at the crack of dawn like they've done every Christmas morning of their lives. There will be sleepy faces and yawns mixed with excited grins. That moment, that's just for us, before the rest of the day unfolds. It's the moment I wait for all year.

But today, before all of that happens, I wanted to take a minute to talk to you.

You Made This Year Possible

Linnea, with Lead with Linnea, giving thanks and being grateful for all of you. — This year has been amazing, more than I could have ever hoped.

This year has been huge for me. I launched Lead with Linnea, started writing this blog, put myself out there in ways that felt terrifying and exhilarating all at once. And my family? They've been incredible. They've supported the late nights, the time I spend writing, the energy I pour into this work. I'm so grateful for them.

But I'm also grateful for you.

Every single time someone tells me they read what I write, my heart does this little happy dance. You have no idea what it means to know that these words matter to someone, that maybe something I shared helped you navigate a tough situation or gave you permission to take a breath.

So, thank you. For reading, for being here, for being part of this community we're building together.

What I Want You to Know

"You are amazing."

Here's what I need you to hear tonight, before you head into whatever your Christmas looks like:

You are amazing.

I know you might not feel amazing right now. I know December probably kicked your butt with year-end deadlines and budget presentations and performance appraisals and staffing coverage and all the chaos that comes with working during the holidays.

I know you're probably exhausted. I know you're probably already thinking about everything waiting for you when you get back to work. I know the public wasn't always kind, and your to-do list is still longer than you'd like, and you're not sure how you're going to tackle everything in the new year.

But listen to me: You. Are. Amazing.

You show up every single day and serve your community. You do work that matters, even when it feels thankless. You lead teams, you solve problems, you make decisions that impact real people's lives. You do all of this while also trying to be a good partner, parent, friend, human being.

That's not nothing. That's everything.

You Deserve This

Whatever your Christmas looks like, whether it's a house full of family or a quiet morning with your coffee, whether it's chaos or calm or something in between, I want you to know something:

You deserve peace. You deserve happiness. You deserve joy.

You don't have to earn it by checking off every item on your list. You don't have to wait until everything at work is perfect. You don't have to prove your worth one more time.

You already have worth. You already matter. You're already enough.

So tomorrow morning, or tonight, or whenever you get a moment, I want you to just be there. Don't think about work. Don't stress about what's coming. Don't replay the tough conversations or worry about the things you didn't get done.

Just be present. Watch the faces of the people you love. Feel the warmth of your home. Notice the joy, even if it's small and quiet. Let yourself have this moment without guilt, without pressure, without anything except the simple gift of being alive and being here.

My Wish for You

Linnea and her family wishing you a very Merry Christmas — Merry Christmas

As we head into this Christmas, my wish for you is simple:

I hope you feel valued, because you are.

I hope you feel proud of what you've accomplished this year, even the small things that nobody else noticed.

I hope you get a moment of pure, uncomplicated happiness.

I hope you feel the love of the people around you, and I hope you let it in.

I hope you rest, really rest, without the weight of everything you think you should be doing.

And I hope you know that the work you do matters. Your leadership matters. Your kindness matters. You matter.

merry Christmas, See You next week

"You are worthy. You are valued. You are enough."

I'm going to spend tonight with family, laughing and eating too much food. Tomorrow morning I'll get woken up way too early by two boys who are definitely old enough to know better but who I wouldn't want to change for anything.

And then, when things calm down and we prepare to head into the new year, I'll be right back here. Writing for you, sharing stories, hopefully making you laugh and think and feel a little less alone in this wild world of leadership.

Until then, from my slightly chaotic, definitely mismatched, absolutely perfect home to yours:

Merry Christmas.

You are worthy. You are valued. You are enough.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for the work you do. Thank you for being you.

Now go enjoy your people. The work will wait.

With gratitude and joy, Linnea

P.S. If you're working on Christmas, if your plans didn't work out the way you hoped, if this season is hard for you for any reason, please know that you're in my thoughts. You're still amazing. You're still worthy. And better days are coming.

As always, carry social kindness with you everywhere you go. The world needs you and your positive mindset!