Some friendships arrive quietly.
They don’t announce themselves as life-changing.
They simply show up — again and again — until one day you realize they helped shape who you are and what you believe.
This holiday season, as we gathered for Secret Santa with the Shining Beautiful team and shared brunch with friends, we found ourselves reflecting on the friendships that have stood the test of time. The ones built on ordinary moments: sharing a coffee, workdays, shared jokes, showing up for birthdays and holidays, and making space for one another to belong.
These are not transactional relationships.
They are relational ones — rooted in kindness, consistency, and care.
Inclusion Is Practiced, Not Proclaimed
One of the most meaningful friendships in Mikelle’s life began years ago in a very everyday place: a coffee shop. Back then, inclusion didn’t come in the form of a policy or a mission statement. It showed up through actions — being welcomed as part of a team, being treated as capable, being invited into conversations and connections.
That environment helped spark the earliest ideas behind Shining Beautiful:
That inclusion isn’t something you say — it’s something you do.
Friendships formed there didn’t fade when jobs changed or seasons shifted. They deepened. They grew. They followed life forward — to weddings, birthdays, holiday gatherings, and regular coffee dates that remain sacred to this day.
Community Looks Like Showing Up Over Time
At our recent holiday celebration, something beautiful happened.
Different chapters of life gathered in the same room — team members, long-time friends, partners, and chosen family. There was no agenda beyond being together. No expectation beyond kindness.
There was laughter.
There was love.
There was belonging.
For newer team members, it was a glimpse into what real community looks like when inclusion is sustained, not staged. For longtime friends, it was simply another chapter in a shared story.
And that’s the magic of friendships that stay — they don’t require explanation. They require presence.
Gratitude for What We Have
As the holidays invite reflection, we’re reminded that the most meaningful gifts are often intangible:
- People who see you
- People who make space
- People who return, again and again
Gratitude lives in those quiet continuities.
And kindness lives in the daily choices that make those continuities possible.
This season, we’re holding close the idea that small acts — a welcome, an invitation, a shared cup of coffee — can echo for decades.
A Gentle Invitation to You
As you move through the holiday season, we invite you to pause and notice:
- Who has stayed?
- Who made room for you?
- Who did something small that turned out to be everything?
And perhaps, where you might offer that same steadiness to someone else.
Tips for our readers.
Take a moment — maybe with a warm drink — and reflect on one or two of these:
- Who is a friend in your life that has lasted longer than you expected? What helped it endure?
- When have you felt truly included? What made that moment possible?
- What small act of kindness could you practice each day this holiday season?
- Is there someone you could reconnect with — even just for coffee?
- How might inclusion show up in your everyday spaces: work, community, or neighborhood?
From all of us at Shining Beautiful, we wish you a holiday season filled with gratitude, gentle moments, and friendships that stay.