A Winter Solstice Reflection on Leadership, Letting Go & Collective Renewal

As the winter solstice draws near and the days grow shorter, I find myself reflecting on this season of thresholds, endings, and unexpected openings.

Many of you have been asking, so I’ll start with the big news: yes, Dylan completed the Continental Divide Trail, hiking over 3,000 miles in five months from the northern to southern borders of the United States. What surprised me most, though, was not just his journey into the unknown, surrounded by nature, but my own. Before he even returned home, I took two weeks away to travel in Brazil and Peru. After many months of holding things down at home and at work, I gave myself permission to stretch my wings.

It may seem like a nontraditional way to welcome my husband home, but it felt deeply aligned for us. It honored both our independence and our interdependence. Dylan had spaciousness and quiet to re-enter daily life at his own pace, and I returned nourished, energized, and more myself. When we reunited, the sweetness was palpable. A reminder that when we follow what’s alive in us, we bring more joy back into our shared lives.

In Brazil, I participated in an Open Space facilitation retreat in the Amazon, held along the banks of the Urubu River. I was the only American among all European participants, and as Open Space can do, it opened up a lot. We moved with the collective grief of colonization, sat with the imbalance between masculine and feminine energies in the world, and connected with each other and our natural surroundings.

All the while, nearby, Amazonian Tribal leaders were protesting at the COP30 International Climate Conference, demanding their voices be heard. As we listened to the river and the forest, elders were sitting across from climate leaders in conference rooms, naming the impacts of capitalism and deforestation on their communities. In a way, we were trading places, from jungle to boardroom, each holding pieces of the same truth.

What stayed with me most was this: if more of us living in Western systems slowed down enough to listen with our full beings, with our hearts, bodies, and breath, not just our minds, we might remember what Indigenous peoples have always known. That we are not separate. That we belong to a living web. That the land is speaking, all the time.

What if strategy meetings happened around campfires, sharing the stories of our ancestors and dreaming under the stars together?

What if action plans meant making commitments to stay connected in each other’s lives in meaningful ways?

What if stakeholder engagement meant temporarily living alongside one another, listening deeply enough to be changed?

In the Chinese tradition, 2025 is the Year of the Snake, a time of shedding old skins, identities, roles, relationships, and patterns that no longer serve. In numerology, 2+0+2+5 equals 9, the number of completion and closure. An ending of a chapter. As we release what has served us for a time and is now ready to be composted back into the Earth, we create space for something new to emerge. There must be Open Space for what is unfolding to bloom.

Few of us are given the gift of five full months to step away from our daily lives, as Dylan was able to on the trail. And yet, all of us are offered moments, seasons, and thresholds that invite us to pause, to listen, and to loosen our grip on what no longer fits.

So if, in these darker days of winter, we find ourselves in limbo, sensing that old ways are crumbling around us, let us hold onto hope. The void is not failure. It is a necessary step in creation, a fertile pause before something new takes root.

Let us approach the darkness with light in our hearts and a rhythm in our step. Let us share our joy amidst the uncertainty and upheaval. And let us reflect on what we are ready to release, and what we are choosing to carry forward together.

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a quick note or jot down in your journal:

What chapter has come to a close this year?

What newness is unfolding?

What still feels within the void of the unknown?

What bright spots from the year are you celebrating?

A Few Bright Spots We're Grateful For

Kiva Playground Update One of the brightest joys this season has been hearing from Children’s Kiva Montessori School in Cortez, Colorado. Their community-designed playground has officially received a major funding grant. This milestone emerged from months of listening circles, student drawings, family input, and the dedication of Kiva’s leadership and planning team. We are honored that Sagebrush could walk alongside them in a process rooted in imagination, belonging, and care. New Work with the Colorado Health Foundation We are also beginning new work with the Colorado Health Foundation in the San Luis Valley, supporting capacity building and strengthening local networks with community members in Rio Grande and Alamosa counties. These efforts feel like beautiful examples of what becomes possible when communities come together around shared vision, trust, and belonging.

Gratitude for the People We Worked With This Year

As I look back on 2025, what stands out most is not the projects themselves, but the people inside them. So many staff, leaders, board members, and community members have been navigating enormous transitions this year with courage and care. Thank you for inviting us to be part of your journeys. As winter settles in and the year comes to a close, I’m feeling grateful for every single thread of connection, including the one between us. Thank you for your work, your care, and your courage. Thank you for strengthening the web we all depend on. May this season bring softness where you need it most. May you feel supported by the web around you. And may you find moments of warmth, quiet, and belonging in the weeks ahead.

Looking Ahead

Heading into 2026, Sagebrush is deepening our commitment to long-term, relational, equity-centered work - the kind that transforms systems from the inside out. Work that honors cultural wisdom, strengthens local leadership, and aligns communities with the well-being of Earth and all our relations.

If your organization or foundation is ready for a deeper, more courageous chapter of facilitation, strategy, or systems healing - we’d love to walk with you.

Wishing you a  Heartfelt Holiday Season! 🎄

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