01/01/2026
Do you remember the first time you went on a rollercoaster?
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How that first crest felt like flying, like being on top of the world? When you had that frog in your throat, somewhere between anxious and excited? Do you remember finally getting off the ride, unsure of whether you wanted to get right back in line or just throw up in a trash can?
(Or maybe both?)
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In a lot of ways, that’s what 2025 was for me.
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The year started with a steep rise in what was going to be My Year. There was still chaos, but everything in business and personal life was lining up perfectly. And then it swiftly became... something else.
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Every time I thought I knew where the ride was going, I was suddenly je**ed to the side. When I felt steady, the bottom would seemingly drop out from under me. I felt like I was rapidly changing with each new turn, all while trying to stay centered.
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I chopped my hair off, deepened relationships, broke my ankle (a week after my partner), got published in Style Me Pretty and Wezoree, and spent more time visiting hospitals than in my own bed.
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Through it all, I was repeatedly floored with how lucky I am, even in a year of Extremely Terrible Luck™️
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So many wonderful people let me into their lives, but also kept me afloat in my own. You have no idea what kind of strength you gave, just by existing as you are.
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From the meals to the texts, to the less personal sharing of resources and words of encouragement and sparks of hope, even just in passing or in your stories.
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Yes, this year’s rollercoaster yanked me into uncharted territory and made my stomach drop repeatedly — but it also sent me soaring high enough to see all of the good, too. These rapid changes hammered me into someone better, I think.
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2025 may have been the year of the snake - filled with shedding and change - but what is a rollercoaster if not a giant metal serpent?
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I’ll let you know right after I’ve finished throwing up and getting back in line for another ride.
