Last night, I found myself wide awake at 2 a.m.,
courtesy of pregnancy insomnia.
You know, that magical time when your body says,
“Let’s prepare for the baby by never letting you sleep again.”

So there I was, scrolling through photos from the past year,
trying to convince my brain it was time to rest.
At first, I was just looking for a distraction, but then something shifted.
Picture by picture, I started to see my year—not the one I planned at the beginning, but the one that unfolded anyway.

There were snapshots of laughter, messy family dinners, and moments where we were all just trying to hold it together.
There were pictures of projects I started and most I didn’t finish.
There were days that looked perfect on the outside but felt heavy on the inside.
And yet, as I kept scrolling, I realized something:
even though this year wasn’t the one I had mapped out,
it turned out to be exactly what it needed to be.

I think that’s what life does—it gives us the years we need,
not always the ones we want.
We don’t get to control the curveballs or the detours,
but we do get to choose how we show up.

Maybe this wasn’t the year you thought it would be.
Maybe you spent more time treading water than making waves.
But you made it.
That’s no small thing.

Looking back, I see growth in places I didn’t expect it.
I see lessons that came from the hardest moments and strength I didn’t know I had.
I see love, even in the messy parts.
And I think that’s the gift of reflection—it shows us the beauty in things we might have missed in the moment.

So if you’re looking back and feeling like this year was a mixed bag,
you’re not alone.
Life isn’t about perfect years; it’s about showing up for the one you’re given.
It’s about learning, growing, and finding joy where you can.

As we move toward a new year, take a moment to honor how far you’ve come.
You’ve lived, you’ve learned, and you’ve made it through.

And if you’re not sure where to start, here are three questions to help you reflect:

1. What’s one moment from this year that made you proud of yourself?
2. What’s something hard you overcame that taught you a lesson?
3. What’s one thing you want to carry with you into the new year?

No matter what your answers are, know this: you’ve done more than enough.
You’ve grown in ways you might not even see yet.
And 2025? It’ll be what it needs to be, too.