12 new chapters. 365 new chances.
Happy New Year! Well, almost! This season is full of celebration and excitement, anticipating the new year and all that is to come in the open future. But, I find it just as valuable to sit still for a moment… and reflect back on the year in closing. 12 months, 365 days of life to be summed up in the mind before the clock strikes midnight and that ball drops. Seems kinda overwhelming? Cause same! The year as a whole with every last twist and turn – all the big moments, and plenty of smaller ones that have slipped my memory by now. I could write so much more on this topic beyond the 25 takeaways, but this is just a glimpse of what comes to my mind. And I hope it inspires reflection within you as you read as well.
Accomplishments don’t have to be big. Yes, the momentous victories are worthy of recognition absolutely! But oftentimes the smaller moments are missed when we are trying to find that feeling of productivity or achievement. In 2025 I completed a 120 hr child life practicum in another country, graduated with my Bachelor’s degree, and worked my 5th summer at my favorite job ever! It’s mind blowing to me even right now as I put this post together to comprehend all that. But in 2025 I also started this blog in the first place, perfected my favorite fluffy coffee recipe at home, and kept up with all my long distance friends best I can. In times of feeling down and discouraged, it’s almost instinct to lose sight of truly how much we are capable of doing. God has equipped us with so much – gifts unique to every individual, purposeful design within how He created us, and an infinite possibility of strength when we invite Him to walk with us each and every day.
Your identity in this life will grow and change – but your identity with Christ is permanent. This one is hard for me, I’ll admit. I strive endlessly to uphold this identity within what makes me, well, me! My passions, my core values, my experiences, my family roots, my gifts, even my hobbies and favorite things that make me happy. Most importantly, seeking my own identity with Jesus. We as human beings are instilled with this as we are all created in God’s image, given a soul with the incredible opportunity for eternal life with God Himself. However the world we live in continuously surrounds us with distractions and idolized goals that ultimately turn our eyes away from Jesus. and away from His lens of who we are. But while we will always be sinners falling short on this side of Heaven, with Jesus in your heart, your eternal citizenship will always read – Child of the King.
It’s okay to let go of versions of yourself. I think we all can relate to this one in our own lives. Looking back to when you were a kid to now, there’s a huge amount of change there between that time! One of the many things close to my heart growing up was my love for dance. I started ballet at three years old and kept on going until I was 14, graduating 8th grade. I tried all kinds of dance, moving between four different studios, learning from different instructors, finding the right chemistry amongst so many different groups of people. All while pushing myself to to do my very best whether it was practice, recital, or a competition. (Yes, I did get to experience one dance going to competition and that was wild!) I remember when I was met with the decision to continue or not for the first time. And if I’m super honest, it brought me to tears. Thoughts like – “Who am I without dance?” “Am I a quitter for moving on from this?” “Will I be able to remember it without regret?” And I’m happy to report now that these anxious thoughts found peace with me! And there’s been tons of other similar experiences in my life this year too. Life is a journey, and these versions of me are all part of the big story. Letting one go to move forward to the next doesn’t mean it vanishes away.
Rest is productive. I probably just ruffled some feathers with that one. This has got to be one of the easiest things for me to preach to others but neglect for myself. By literal definition, sure, rest equals sleep. And sleep is mighty important! Lord knows none of us get enough of it like we should. But rest can be so many other things and look a little different for everyone. Rest can be unplugging from your phone and other devices. It can be a slow morning on a weekend to enjoy some self care and time at home. It can be a much needed FaceTime call with a friend you keep playing phone tag with. It can be going back to that DIY idea or art project or puzzle you never finished. Taking time for yourself and slowing down the normal day-to-day pace of life can feel stressful with your never ending to-do list still looming overhead. But it’s vitally important for our well being!
Hope is a choice. As beautifully said by my favorite character in my all time favorite movie of 2025 – “That’s the funny thing about hope. No one else gets to decide if you feel it. That choice belongs to you.” (Shoutout Rumi from Kpop Demon Hunters!!). This year, I found myself in tons of moments where hope wasn’t exactly in the picture for me. The idea of it somehow made me frustrated, like a magnet I just wanted to shove away so I could sit in my pain… but it just kept trying to creep back in. And I realized eventually that I have the power to give hope a seat at my table, no matter how dark the situation felt – or keep it locked out of my mind. It’s a choice to give it presence within whatever difficult trial I was facing – but that doesn’t mean it’s the sole owner of my attention. Learning to balance acknowledging the hard stuff, the anxiety, depression, OCD, anger, bitterness, grief… and still keeping hope and perseverance within sight is a tricky scale to maintain. And I’m no expert I can assure you! But a true harmony within the mind is only achieved through bringing the broken pieces of this life together, even if it takes a lifetime to discover how they all fit in the puzzle.
Proximity doesn’t equal closeness. I know that sounds really contradictory, but let me explain. My college years are my best example of this. I spent 3.5 years in the same four walls, the same hallway, the same building, or just being a hop across town from the friends closest to me. The longer breaks were hard sometimes, but we always had the next semester to look forward to. Until graduation… until I moved back home and left my sweet college town. Now what?? All of a sudden I’m states away, different time zones, even another continent away from these same people. Growing up a military kiddo with all the constant change, I sort of adopted this fear of growing apart from those I held close every time we relocated. And unfortunately, for a long portion of my life, this fear was backed up with a lot of very real evidence. By the time I got to college this fear had become pretty much normal for me. So much so that I didn’t recognize it anymore within myself… until hints of anxious attachment started showing up. From here my mentality enters new territory along the lines of – “You mean when we’re long distance that won’t change our friendship??” Sounds insane but it’s truly the journey we embarked on. My real ones can testify I promise. But the longer this new season goes on, the more I’m learning that distance is the real test of closeness, and the most rewarding, beautiful aspect of calling someone your best friend. Some days hit harder than others just wanting nothing more than to get Cook Out milkshakes together and chat in the car. But I know no matter how long we’re apart, how far we are, or how often we can call – that reality will never go away.
Nothing heals if nothing hurts. This next one is inspired by one of my countless favorite artists and music that has truly found a home within my soul. I had the incredible privilege of attending an Avery Anna concert as part of her Let Go Letters Tour. Her album, “Let Go Letters,” released earlier this year, literally changed my life for the better. There’s not a single skip on that musical masterpiece, go listen and check her out if you haven’t already! One of her many coined quotes as part of this whole project is “Nothing heals if nothing hurts.” I’ve been pondering over this since the first time I heard it and it’s hard to put its power and relatability into words. These songs are written based off real experiences within real letters people wrote that Avery collected over time – and compiled through music to bring a safe space of all sorts of emotions and healing journeys for everyone. Standing in that room at the concert really shook me, like an invisible wave rippled through the crowd connecting every single person together as human beings. as people going through this life and every hardship within it. It was as if we all understood the person to our left and right for a moment, without needing to say a single word. Everyone’s experiences are unique, but we can all find healing amidst even the deepest of pain. And through the courage to let it go.
Your perception of a setback is not set in stone forever. Easier said than done am I right? When something doesn’t go the way we planned, we feel defeat, frustration, maybe even shame. Maybe we feel like we aren’t good enough to accomplish this thing we wanted. Or that this failure is a negative reflection of our character. All these feelings and tons more I didn’t highlight are so normal for a situation like this. It’s okay to let ourselves feel these things. Negative self-talk to drive it out often meets us with more harm than good – even if it feels really uncomfortable. But! Just because you view a setback negatively as a failure or as a source of cynicism, doesn’t mean it’s stuck that way. Down the road you may look back at that same scenario and realize it was the very challenge you needed then, to lead you to where you are now. And that’s perspective for ya! You may not see the crops bear fruit right away, but God is always planting seeds. Even in the most unlikely times.
Life doesn’t move forward by chasing yesterdays. I am the type of person that’s totally prone to dwell on things of the past. Past times I’m not proud of, past wounds that aren’t quite healed, past scars that randomly death-grip my memory, past anger and bitterness that resurfaces every now and then. But as I work through these things in relation with my mental health, my relationships, even my physical health, I learn more and more about keeping my eyes out of the rearview mirror. I’m not perfect, even though I’m a chronic perfectionist. But keeping myself rooted in the past only stagnates my own growth. It’s a never ending battle most of the time, but definitely an important one that I strive to keep fighting every day. Some days I feel on top of the world, ready to jump into whatever the future holds. And other days I’m paralyzed in anxiety from a past experience that has me convinced I will never be good enough for something. You may feel the same way in your own unique font. Just remember this. If Jesus was stuck living in the past, the cross would’ve never happened, the grave would not be empty, and Heaven would still be completely hopelessly out of our reach. That’s a humbling, powerful thought to digest!
Lastly, but certainly not least, do not change who you are to gain the approval of others. This line is also inspired by a song – “Hope” by NF. As he describes his “definition of success” in this verse, he explains it’s someone “that would never waver or change who they are, just to try and gain some credibility, so they could feel accepted by a stranger.” Wow. That one hit me right in the chest. How often do we find ourselves desperately trying to fit in with society? Spending so much time, monetary endeavors, and seeking endless opinions to find admittance into what is ‘cool’ or ‘trending’. Eventually, all this rabbit chasing leads to the same conclusion – vanity or emptiness. Feeling like you lost your individuality to be part of the greater movement… even if your values and morals don’t line up with this so-called social norm at all. Naturally judgment brings us insecurity and self-doubt, existing as a quickly avoided negative concept. Yet we easily forget how these feelings manifest within us and carry this negative judgment out to other people… spreading this web of anxious unease. Who are we to say “In a world where you can be anything, be yourself,” when we are so quick to judge and envy everyone else?? I dream of a world where our God-given differences are celebrated and adjoined for a much greater purpose – to bring glory to God and God alone. You may feel small and insignificant in this fight. But every moment, every decision matters.
My prayer is that I will take these valuable takeaways with me into 2026 and nurture them to grow stronger. My eyes are open and ready to take on the new year. If something here resonated with you, don’t be shy to share it! Whether it’s the person right next to you, a family member across the country, or a crowd of people you may never meet or see again – everyone has a voice to be heard.
Happy New Year! Welcome 2026!
