Giddy up! A new year is here...

Happy New Year!

Did you know…2025 was the year of the snake. Snakes shed their skins, so this symbolized the process of letting go of the old and embracing the new. 2026 is the year of the horse. It’s the year of strength, reclaiming momentum, having clarity and the courage to pursue. This of course according to the Chinese zodiac, or at least what I understand of it.

Now I ask, have you ever had a feeling you couldn’t explain? I’ve had one recently…several actually, that is after all, how my book came to be. But in all seriousness, I have this feeling that something big is coming in 2026. I don’t know what, but it feels amazing to me and that’s what makes it exciting.

But first…

As a joke, my family took a funny photo of us helping 2025 exit the building aka showing it the door. We couldn’t wait to say goodbye. It was a hard year; it was a sad year. It felt like frustration and hatred was at an all-time high…and maybe it was. It broke my heart as I witnessed and even experienced severed relationships merely because of differing opinions or lack of understanding and respecting the choices made by those who refused to be consumed by all the negativities. I witnessed an ugly side in people I care about and who are close to me. To say it was disappointing and painful is an understatement.

In addition to that, I entered a new phase with my son, a hard phase. Honestly, I’m wondering if we entered the terrible twos AND the teens. That’s a plus being a special needs mom—experiencing those “years” later AND at the same time…ugh! I thought I got lucky and skipped those years, boy was I wrong! I’m no spring chicken and don’t have the energy I once had so I do my best to laugh when I can and bite my tongue as much as possible. Let’s just say it’s a good thing our tongues heal fast.

Dad, wherever you are, I’m sorry for the painful teen years we put you through.

2025 brought challenges to my family. We had car problems, flooding in our basement, some expensive household repairs, concern about the day program my son attends, severed relationships, and to top it all off, I hit writers block with my writing midway through the year and began to doubt and question who I am and what I’m supposed to be doing. That’s the overthinker in me and she came at me full force.

A few days ago, memories on social media began to pop up. According to these memories, every year has been a bad year that I couldn’t wait to say goodbye to. Say what?!?! How can that be? How is it that every New Year’s Eve we call out that we are glad to say goodbye to that year, especially when our cameras are full of photos, and our minds have memories proving that we experienced some good in each of them.

This made me think. There are 365 days in the year and realistically, they can’t all be good. There are going to be bad days. But is “bad” the right term? Our lessons and learnings are found in the “bad.” Think about it, what do we learn when the car is working with no problems, if our children are perfect angels, if no upgrades or repairs are needed to our homes. What do we learn when we always have money for gas and food and of course pedicures? (My toes and feet are quick to teach me when I haven’t given them attention for a while.)

Two words come to mind for those times: Sacrifice and Simplify.

As it turns out, I don’t think my joke of kicking 2025 out the door is as funny as I initially thought. Yes, it was a hard year. But it was also a year of reminders and learning. Those times our vehicles and home needed repairs reminded me of the importance of having an emergency fund. I recognize those times I was harder on myself than I should have been and can acknowledge that I do have a purpose AND I now know it’s okay not to be a perfect parent…even when your child has special needs. (say what?!?!)

Seeing the lessons from our emotional trials; loss (a divorce or death), sickness, or even pain caused by another, is next to impossible at the time we experience them. Our hearts hurt and whose eyes are open during that time? Lord knows, I’ve lived through all these circumstances (in all honesty, sometimes against my will). However, through some of those times, it took years for me to understand the lesson and even the blessings.

When it comes to gratitude, 2025 was my best year yet. In all my hard, I was able to find the good. I’m grateful that I can see these times as lessons, blessings, and opportunities to appreciate when all is going well for us. I believe it’s because I’m evolving. I’m doing my best to look for good in everyone and all situations. I’ve also managed to cultivate an amazing relationship with nature which has brought me closer to my Creator. Yep, Jesus grabbed the wheel from me and took me from 4-wheeling without shocks to a gravel/semi-paved road.

Pain, lessons, and writers block aside, 2025 was good for me and my family! I’m grateful for the invitations I received to share my story on several podcasts, and to be the keynote speaker at a writer’s retreat. It was an honor to have my story with my son featured in a magazine that was given out to hundreds of families across the globe who had a baby with Down syndrome in 2025. Our family met the incredible Jake Burger, first baseman for the Texas Rangers, who has a baby girl with Down syndrome as well as many other influencers we follow on social media. It was also a time for me to cross off two bucket list wishes: visiting Magnolia Silos and Dollywood. Oh, and vacation to Matt’s favorite, Disneyland, with a family member we never imagined would join us.

Mostly I’m grateful for the reminder that we’re human, we make mistakes. Those moments I was disappointed in people I care about were outbursts of passion, frustration, and pain.

I learned instead of feeling lost and grieving for my parents (again), I was able to appreciate and celebrate their earthly journey…for the life they gave me.

2025 was a year of new connections and friendships being formed. People who made me feel loved and lovable without even knowing the amazing impact they had on me.

We’re in a new year now and I can only hope that 2026 will be as hard and as amazing as 2025 was.

Happy New Year friends! I wish you a year of seeing beyond the bad and into the good.

Join me as I’ve saddled up and am ready to gallop boldly forward into a new year. I'm not afraid to work hard or take risks. This horse of mine will activate the fire within me.

Giddy up 2026! Let's do this!