Happy New Year! I can still say that 12 days in, right? Moving into a new year, I am reflecting on 2025 and what I hope for in 2026.
I spent the first 3 months of 2025 going through dad’s house – cleaning, sorting, and organizing things in preparation for its sale. If you’ve ever gone through a loved one that has passed away’s belongings, you know that it’s hard. My parents were married for 39 years, and I found all sorts of things like pictures of them before I was born, a VHS tape of the 1986 Super Bowl when the Bears played (they lost), and even my kindergarten diploma. I kept those things. Going through that house was one of the most exhausting things I have ever done.
Although there were some funny moments and interesting things I found, the main reason it was hard was because it made me further come to terms with my mom’s death. My word for 2025 was ‘release’ but the phrase I would describe it as is “I can do hard things”. Sorting through and overseeing the sale of that house while managing my own household and trying to be present with my family was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but I did it.
After the house sold, I continued to help my dad with managing his life and doctor appointments. I became more intentional with my relationships. I started working out regularly. I finished reading The Bible in a Year. I learned the power of consistency and that big changes start with small choices toward what you want to accomplish.
This year my word of the year is consistency. I plan to continue in the good habits I started in 2025 as well as schedule time to regularly pursue other hobbies and interests. Wouldn’t it be great if I wrote blogs consistently? That said, I know that life happens. I do my best to set aside time for what I want to do. I do those things to the best of my ability. I hope to not get too derailed by life along the way. I pray and give myself grace when things don’t go as planned.
When I was younger, I used to think life needed to be easy and have minimal obstacles for me to enjoy it. If something difficult happened, I needed to get through it as fast as possible so I could get back to enjoying a semi-stress-free life. Now I know that life will have challenges – that’s living – but it’s how you live and what you do to overcome those challenges that makes the difference.
This year my prayer is to have a blessed 2026 as I continue to grow no matter what’s on the horizon.