We Made It Through This Year — Somehow
Why caring for each other is how we move forward.
Sarah shuffled through the kitchen in the dark, trying not to wake her kids.
It was 6:15 AM.
The coffee maker gurgled like it was just as tired as she was.
Another morning. Another day of holding everything together.
She sat at the table and opened her phone — messages about school delays, bills that couldn’t wait, news that made her heart sink, again.
Her youngest had outgrown his shoes, again.
The price of groceries had jumped, again.
The world felt like it was spinning faster than she could run.
It was almost Christmas.
She wanted to feel the magic her kids felt — to sit in that glow of anticipation and wonder.
But all she felt was the weight of a year that asked too much.
A year where survival took more mental, emotional, and physical energy than she thought she had.
And yet… she kept showing up.
Because that’s what moms do.
They hold the line — even when the line shakes or becomes hard to see.
Where We Actually Are Right Now
This week I feel a lot like Sarah:
exhausted from carrying a year’s worth of emergencies
quietly proud I made it this far
planning for a better year while unsure how much I have left to give
We all survived inflation, crisis fatigue, mental strain… and still managed to pour love into the people who count on us.
But here’s the thing we’re not told enough:
You shouldn’t have to pour from a cup the world keeps emptying.
We deserve:
rest without apology
joy without a price tag
community without condition
And most of all…
We deserve to feel supported when we’re struggling — not alone in it.
The Systems That Keep Dropping Us
The world feels heavier because:
help arrives too slow
support systems break under pressure
we’re forced to self-rescue over and over again
It’s not weakness to feel worn down.
It’s proof we’ve been strong for too long — without enough help.
Systems fail.
Institutions wobble.
Normal keeps changing shape.
And we’re expected to adapt like it costs us nothing.
But it always costs us something.
What We Can Do Next Year
We can’t fix everything overnight. But we can build support where systems fall short.
We can:
plan together
share knowledge
keep each other steady when the world tilts
Not in a dramatic doomsday way — but like neighbors who refuse to let each other fall.
That’s why I made these:
👉 Processing Big Emotions
For finding clarity and calm again.
👉 Organize & Mobilize
For turning shared struggle into collective strength.
It’s not self-help, it’s shared help.
That’s how we move into the new year stronger — together.
Before You Rush Into January…
Take a breath.
You earned that pause.
You earned that moment where nothing is demanded of you.
If this year took more from you than you planned to give, you’re in good company.
💬 What’s one thing you’re leaving behind as we head into 2026?
I genuinely want to know.
Because naming our weight is how we start to put it down.
— Robert