Gold Price $4,368.70
Oil Price $56.52 per barrel WTI

Planning your estate might not sound like the most exciting thing on your to-do list, but trust us, it’s worth it. And with The Investor’s Guide to Estate Planning, preparing isn’t as daunting as it may seem.

Inside, you’ll find {straightforward advice} on tackling key documents to clearly spell out your wishes.

Plus, there’s help for having those all-important family conversations about your financial legacy to make sure everyone’s on the same page (and avoid negative future surprises).

Why leave things to chance when you can take control? Explore ways to start, review or refine your estate plan today with The Investor’s Guide to Estate Planning.

Download your free guide now!

And It’s FREE to listen to daily, available to listen on iHeart Radio Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify, and of course Youtube.
You can also listen to Daily Sip with Marcel every day on Spotify HERE

Read our guest Writer E. Gordon Mooneyhan’s take on
Brewing Words: The Cultural Symbiosis of Coffee Shops and Bookstores.

Why do coffee shops and bookstores pair perfectly? Explore the rich cultural history and cozy ambience of this legendary duo.
READ MORE

As we hit the peak of the holiday shopping season, the "soft landing" narrative is meeting a bit of winter turbulence. Retail data released this week suggests that while the spirit is willing, the wallet is wary. Inflation has settled, but the cumulative "sticker shock" of the last three years has consumers pivoting toward "experience" gifting over gadgets. Meanwhile, the Fed signaled a holding pattern on rates through Q1, leaving the housing market in a quiet, snowy standstill as buyers wait for a spring thaw.

In a historic summit in Brussels, EU leaders and Southeast Asian nations reached a breakthrough agreement on a "Digital Silk Road" to diversify tech supply chains away from singular dependencies. On the climate front, post-COP30 check-ins dominated the headlines, with a coalition of nations announcing a massive joint investment in North Sea wind energy. It’s a reminder that while geopolitical tensions simmer, the global gears are grinding toward a more connected, albeit complicated, future, or failure.

In Washington, the week was defined by a rare bipartisan push for a sweeping "Rural Revitalization Act," aimed at boosting high-speed connectivity and healthcare access for the heartland. Beyond the Beltway, the Pacific Northwest is recovering from a record-breaking "Atmospheric River" that brought both much-needed reservoir refills and logistical headaches. It’s a week of contrast: the high-speed race of technology meeting the slow, powerful forces of nature.

The NBA and NHL are deep in the "grind" phase of the season, where grit starts to outweigh early-season hype. This week, eyes were fixed on the NFL playoff race, which is becoming a chaotic game of musical chairs. A few underdog stories are beginning to emerge, teams that were counted out in October are suddenly looking like January spoilers. Whether on the ice or the turf, the message is clear: it’s not how you start the season, but how you handle the cold.

The Golden Globe nominations dropped this week, officially kicking off the awards season sprint. The surprise? A surge of independent international films dominating categories traditionally reserved for Hollywood blockbusters. Meanwhile, Gen Z K-pop sensation TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT), made waves this week with their groundbreaking VR experience, "TOMORROW X TOGETHER VR CONCERT: HEART ATTACK." performing a "multi-dimensional" concert that allowed fans to attend via VR from their living rooms, blurring the line between a live show and a cinematic experience. The future of the "star" is no longer just on screen, it’s in the room with you. No more waiting in lines, and you can adjust the volume.

Sunday mornings invite us to slow down, to pour the coffee gently, to sit with our thoughts, and to notice the quiet symbols that have been speaking to us all along.
One of those symbols hangs silently on our doors or rests at the center of our tables each year. Let’s pour over the wreath. Familiar, beautiful, and often seasonal, the wreath is more than decoration. It is history, meaning, and reminder, especially when life has tested our sense of worth.

The wreath’s story stretches back thousands of years. In ancient civilizations, circular garlands were crafted from laurel, olive branches, and evergreen leaves. The circle itself mattered. With no beginning and no end, it represented eternity, continuity, and the enduring rhythm of life. Victors in Greece and Rome were crowned with wreaths not merely as trophies, but as public acknowledgments of dignity, effort, and honor.
If a wreath could talk it would say, “you matter, you endured, you finished the race.”

Later, as Christianity spread, the wreath took on deeper spiritual meaning. Evergreen branches, plants that remain alive through harsh winters, became symbols of resilience and eternal hope. During the darkest months of the year, when fields were bare and days were short, evergreens quietly testified that life persists even when it appears hidden. The Advent wreath, with its candles slowly lit week by week, reinforced this truth.

Light grows, even slowly; hope is not extinguished by darkness.

Over time, wreaths moved from temples and sanctuaries to homes. They found their place on front doors, signaling welcome. A wreath says, “You belong here.” It is an invitation before a word is spoken. That may be why, even today, we instinctively feel comfort when we see one. The symbolism works on us gently, almost subconsciously.

In a year that may have tested your confidence, your patience, or your sense of purpose, the wreath offers a quiet lesson. Its shape reminds us that our worth rarely travels in a straight line. We do not lose value because of detours, pauses, or restarts. Life comes full circle.There are seasons of growth and seasons of waiting. There are moments when we bloom, and moments when we simply endure. All of them count.

The materials of a wreath matter, too. Traditionally, wreaths are made by weaving together individual branches, pieces that alone might seem insignificant or broken. Together, they create strength and beauty. This is a powerful metaphor for our own lives. The experiences we might label as failures, losses, or interruptions often become the very strands that hold us together later. They shape our character. They deepen our empathy. They give us perspective.

When we place or notice a wreath at the close of a year, we are participating in an ancient act of reflection. We are acknowledging what has been survived as much as what has been celebrated. We are saying: I am still here. And that, in itself, is worthy of honor.

Looking ahead, the wreath gently nudges us toward a brighter future, not with urgency, but with reassurance. Its evergreen promise reminds us that hope does not require perfect conditions. It grows quietly, persistently, even in cold ground. The coming year does not need to be flawless to be meaningful. It simply needs room for renewal.

As you move into the weeks ahead, consider what wreath you are carrying forward.

What lessons from this past season deserve to be honored?

What parts of yourself, strong, imperfect, resilient, can you weave together with intention?

Maintaining our sense of worth is not about ignoring hardship.
It is about recognizing that hardship did not erase us.

This Sunday, let the wreath do what it has always done. Let it remind you that your life has shape, continuity, and meaning. Let it encourage you to stand at the threshold of a new year not diminished, but intact. The ring remains whole. Now, as the sun starts to shine more everyday something brighter is already on its way.

The same is true for this week. We get so caught up in the wrapping of our lives, the decorations, the outfits, the perfect hosting, that we forget to enjoy the gift. The gift isn't the object inside the glossy paper! My friends, the gift is the time we have to sit with the people we love.

When you feel the pressure to make things look perfect, stop. Leave one task "unwrapped" and use that time to take a sip of your favorite brew and sit in silence. The presentation is temporary, but the feeling is permanent.

Merry Christmas,
Marcel

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