'Tis the Season for Presence

By Lisa Babincsak

Lately, I find myself reflecting on the most meaningful moments of my life. They weren't filled with material presents. They were moments of true presence and connection. When I look back, it's never the gifts or the price tags that stand out. It's the quiet conversations that lingered long after the candles burned low. The laughter that filled a room without effort. The times someone looked me in the eyes and really saw me—a moment of recognition that felt like coming home to yourself.

Yet as the holidays approach, we're surrounded by a culture that tells us to express love through things. The lists, the shopping, the wrapping—it all becomes a season of accumulation rather than appreciation.

We spend so much energy searching for the perfect present that we forget the simple, irreplaceable power of being fully present.

But here in San Miguel, I'm reminded daily of a different way. There's something about this town—especially in December—that slows the pulse of life and awakens the senses.

The cobblestone streets glow with candlelight, the scent of piñon wood curls through the air, and the sound of church bells mingles with laughter spilling out of courtyard doors.

Posadas wind through the neighborhoods, children sing under the stars, and strangers greet each other as if they've known one another for years.

It's a kind of everyday magic that invites us to pause and simply be. We are so fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, surrounded by people who value art, friendship, and community. The beauty here teaches us something quietly profound: that joy doesn't have to be purchased, and that connection itself is a form of abundance.

So maybe this season, we can take that to heart. Instead of another sweater or another gadget, we can offer the gift of ourselves—our time, our listening, our gratitude. We can pause long enough to notice the beauty in the people we love and the life we already have.

Because in the end, it's not what we give that's remembered. It's how fully we were there when we gave it.

Regards,

Lisa

Lisa Babincsak is a San Miguel real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Colonal Homes, interior designer, and animal rescuer who also writes personal and soulful stories beyond this column.