8 December 2024
How well do you know your Friends?
The year is slowly coming to an end, and the retreat season is winding down: I’m hosting one last retreat in 2024: the Booklover’s Christmas Binge Reading Retreat (see last-minute special offer below.) This time of the year I look back at the past year, and forward to the coming year.
In 2025, I’m steering my little business into choppy waters, as I’m making risky changes, by introducing my new all-singing, all-dancing 7-day retreat From Troubled to Triumphant: Finding Solid Ground During A Life Quake. Designing this retreat, I included everything that I love about living in this unspoilt and largely undiscovered part of France, as well as a few new activities like forest bathing and wild swimming. Got to keep up with the times, you know.
The main focus of the retreat will be life transitions, aka major life changes, and feature the best aspects of each of my 5-day retreats, so there will be sessions with the horses, writing sessions (journaling), some Camino de Santiago walking sessions, a visit to a local fresh food (and lots more) market etc. In 2025, I will still host the 5-day retreats, but I’m hoping to be able to fade them out gradually.
My health dictates that I host retreats less frequently, so I’m aiming to host retreats only in the first and third weeks of March to November, and in December only the Christmas retreat, which I absolutely adore hosting and I’m not giving that up, so there.
Looking back over 2024, my heart floods with gratitude towards my friends. Another year that I could NEVER have survived without them. So for this year’s Christmas Countdown Calendar, I have chosen “Making Friends and Maintaining Friendships” as a theme. I have been publishing a post every day on my blog since the 1st of December, below is yesterday’s post. If you would like to receive my Christmas Calendar posts daily, CLICK HERE to subscribe to this Christmas Calendar on my Blog.
Christmas Countdown Calendar – 18 days to Christmas!
Theme: Making Friends and Maintaining Friendships
Friends as Chosen Family
The holidays can highlight the importance of family, but for some, traditional family relationships may feel strained or distant. This is where friends can become your chosen family—a group of people who truly see, accept, and support you.
Take a moment to appreciate the friends who’ve stepped into that role in your life. These relationships are a testament to the idea that family isn’t always about blood—it’s about love, loyalty, and shared experiences.
Journaling Prompt: Which of your friends feels like family to you? How can you show them your appreciation this holiday season?
Action Step: Reach out to a “chosen family” friend today and let them know how much they mean to you.
Interactive Comment: Cherish your chosen family? Comment with “Friends are family!”
Would you like to find out what type of friend YOU are? How well do you know your friends? If you and a new friend really are compatible? I have created a set of light-hearted quizzes, quotes and questions to help you do just that.
Included:
- How well do you know your Friends? Quiz
- What is Your Friendship Style? and Are your Friendship Styles compatible? Quiz
- 20 of the Most Inspiring Friends and Friendship Quotes and
- 20 lighthearted Questions you can ask to get to know a new Friend
Discover how to build meaningful, lasting friendships and create a support system that truly has your back—delivered straight to your inbox! Click Here to subscribe to this Christmas Calendar on my Blog.
Life-enhancing Quote
There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that become family. -Unknown
Empowering Affirmation
“I attract and nurture friendships that uplift, empower, and inspire me to be my best self.”
Insight-giving prompt
If you could sit down with [friend’s name] and ask them anything, what would you want to know about their life, dreams, or struggles that you haven’t explored yet?”
Follow-up questions to guide your reflection:
- What do you already know about this friend’s passions, challenges, or values?
- Are there parts of their life or personality you’ve never been curious about—or have unintentionally overlooked?
- How might you create space for more meaningful conversations with them? (Think: sharing stories, asking open-ended questions, or just listening more deeply.)
- What’s one thoughtful question you can ask the next time you’re together to show you care about really knowing them?
This prompt helps you shift from surface-level small talk to creating opportunities for connection and understanding—because the best friendships grow when you water them with curiosity and care.
Warmest Season’s Regards
Margaretha
Pictures from Pixabay, Ideogram, Leonardo, Decohere