2025 was no walk in the park. It felt like navigating an obstacle course: jumping over one hurdle, stumbling on two, pausing at the third to catch my breath, then pushing forward because there was no other choice. It was packed with uncertainty, fatigue, and constant replanning—and I know I’m not alone in this.
Yet, I’m lucky enough that by the end of the year, I can look back and see challenges not just as losses but as lessons—and even opportunities.
I understand not everyone has the space, time, or resources to view obstacles as growth. Some blows are just hard to find the silver lining in. That’s why I feel it’s especially important to recognize my privileged position and say: I’m truly grateful for my own fortune. Not because everything went perfectly, but because I found ways to hold on.
I’m Grateful for My Relationship
Not because it’s been easy—far from it. It took a ton of work, patience, conversations, and often raw, painful honesty to reach a safe place this year where we don’t just love each other, but truly thrive together. Where the first conflict doesn’t spark panic, but a shared commitment to work through it. Beyond attraction, something much steadier emerged: the knowledge that we’re allies.
I’m Grateful for My Friends, Too
We could count on two hands how often we met, yet we kept reaching out. We wrote, we talked, reminding each other how much we matter. As adults, that’s no small thing—it’s a conscious choice—and I’m grateful we all made it.
I’m Grateful My Daughter Started School This Year
This was both exciting and scary, full of questions and sleepless nights. Still, I feel deep gratitude that we live in a place where I can choose her school, prioritize her education, and know she’ll learn to read, write, and count. She’s starting a journey toward the adult she wants to become. That’s not a given everywhere—and I won’t forget that.
One of the most defining moments of the year was a night that’s forever etched in my memory. We arrived at the children’s hospital by ambulance because my daughter couldn’t breathe. The helpless fear I felt then will likely stay with me for life. Yet, from that night, not only fear but gratitude remains. Gratitude that we could call for help. That the ambulance came. That there was medicine, technology, and expertise. Within minutes, my daughter sighed with relief and breathed again. It’s heartbreaking to think this wasn’t possible not long ago—and painful to know there are still places where it isn’t.
Despite all the hardships, I feel it’s important to give thanks for this year. For the good moments, the laughter, the support I received, and for the work I quietly did myself—often unnoticed. And now, I’m seeing the rewards.
I’m not expecting an easy year. But I trust that 2026 will bring challenges I can somehow overcome—and that I’ll be grateful for them when I look back.
