2025 In Review

This year, I'm going to post my year-in-review on here instead of just on my personal social. 2024 showed me that I needed to be my own priority, so that was my focus in 2025: protecting my peace, focusing on my healing, and looking to the future without missing the present.

Boy, did I surprise myself!

The year did not start out as a massive growing field of opportunity and hope. It was a barren wasteland of nuclear waste to be honest. I chose my peace and healing over a very close friendship. I instilled a boundary that, by the end of this year, severed what I thought we had. I was heartbroken. I still am, really. But sometimes relationship roads diverge, and we take separate paths. I still wish I was sharing the present with her.

Then, the anniversary of mom's death arrived. I needed it to mean more than just the day we lost her. I needed something in 2025 that wasn't grief. So I reached out to a mortgage assistance program and started the ball rolling to see about buying a house. We had one in mind. It was perfect. We moved forward.

If a problem could arise? It did.

We hoped to originally close March...... which stretched to April...... then to May. But finally, at the end of June, we bought our first house. A bigger yard for the dog and cats. Almost triple the living space of our trailer. An affordable mortgage. A dream I never thought would come true.

While all of that was going on, a whole new romantic avenue sprang to life. We found ourselves in quite a unique position, but I'm so glad it happened. I could never imagine how amazing things are right now. (And not just for me and mine, but those close to me finding love again.) 8 months of the most glorious Triad. It's the most beautiful challenge of navigating communication and work schedules.

Then, in July, we moved into our new building for this school year. I have fallen in love with my new room despite my deep aversion to change. I’m focusing on the new desk set ups and functioning furniture instead of the frustrations every time I can’t find where I put something. I really miss my cabinet for student snacks.

In December I published my 6th novel, Paying the Price, the 2nd in the Wintermoor quartet, and my next poetry installment, Handprints on the Glass. 2 more and my 2nd collection will be complete!! Boy do I need to update my website. That will happen here soon. I still have not decided if I’m taking 2026 off in terms of novel publishing. It may be a year I throw myself into writing instead of editing and polishing.

I have ended the year jumping into something I've wanted to do since COVID lockdown and picking up old hobbies that I didn't have space for: baking fresh bread and crocheting. It has been so revitalizing to return to crochet after a long hiatus. Then, randomly, I decided to give a crack at baking a fresh Italian loaf. It was delicious and amazing! I am so excited about furthering my abilities for both!

2025 was the year of embracing change, even though I felt hurled through the air at high velocity for most of it. I'm still adjusting to all the new, but that will just take a bit of time and patience with myself. It's the first calendar year I've gone without a depressive episode (going on 18 months!), and I truly think that's the product of the work I do daily from therapy.

I'm not sure what 2026 has in store. For once, I hold no expectations, only hope for more growth, more love, and more laughter knowing I will also sit with grief, sorrow, and pain. It's the ever-turning of the wheel. But this time, I have traction and a bit of purpose. So, farewell 2025. The lessons were hard learned.

Welcome 2026: may your lessons continue aiding in my growth.

With all the love and light into the new year,

AMH