2025 Reflection – Reclaim
2025 was the year I chose Reclaim — and while it didn’t look the way I originally imagined, it mattered more than I realized at the time.
This year wasn’t about massive growth or loud wins. It was about taking pieces of myself back after years of survival, caretaking, loss, and emotional shutdown. I began reclaiming my time, my boundaries, my energy, and my right to pause — even when the world expected me to keep pushing.
Health became a central theme in ways I didn’t anticipate. Systemic inflammation, pain, fatigue, and uncertainty forced me to slow down and listen to my body instead of overriding it. That was hard. Frustrating. But necessary. Reclaiming my health didn’t mean fixing everything — it meant finally acknowledging that something was really wrong and committing to finding answers.
Creatively and professionally, 2025 was uneven. I showed up when I could, canceled when I needed to, and wrestled with guilt, fear, and the urge to stay small. I began recognizing how past trauma — especially a significant loss in 2022 — still shaped how open I felt about being visible. Naming that was part of reclaiming myself, even when it was uncomfortable.
Personally, this year carried deep transitions. Becoming an empty nester with my husband. Watching our children build lives and start families of their own. Preparing to welcome our fourth grandchild — a girl.
This season also created space for Jeff and me — traveling together for his work when I am able to, sharing quieter moments, and being more present with each other without the constant pull of parenting demands.
Reclaiming quiet.
Reclaiming rest.
I didn’t reclaim everything in one year — and I’m learning that I was never meant to. What I did reclaim was awareness, honesty, and permission: permission to slow down, to feel, to stop pretending I’m fine when I’m not.
2025 taught me that reclaiming isn’t dramatic.
It’s quiet.
It’s internal.
It’s choosing not to abandon myself anymore.
As I look toward 2026, I haven’t chosen my next word yet — and that’s okay. Some things aren’t meant to be forced. I trust that it will reveal itself when the time is right.