New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are holidays that have changed a lot for me over the years.

Back in my 20s and early 30s, New Year’s Eve was a time to party - which usually meant I spent most of New Year’s Day not feeling so hot. I did manage to put together a big spread for dinner though, usually turkey with all the trimmings, which we would eat in front of the TV while watching college football bowl games.

Starting in my late 30s the festivities drastically changed. I traded the bar scene and a night of dancing for a card party and snacks at our local church.

Shortly before midnight we would all gather in a circle and pray in the New Year. I loved that tradition!

The church we attend now doesn’t do anything special on New Year’s Eve.

However, we have established a new tradition. Several years ago we started making it an annual event to go with our friends to Tub’s Pub in Sumner for supper that night. It’s always chicken fried steak for me - the best ever!

Today, Jan. 1, has now become a chill day. Most years I don’t even get out of my jammies on New Year’s Day! We all need a day like that from time to time.

It’s crazy to think about entering the year 2026. Just a few short years ago, it seems, that date would have sounded so futuristic!

New Year’s is always a good time to reflect on the ups and downs of the past year, and for me that usually includes a little self-evaluation. What did I do right, and what do I need to work on?

For many of us the new year brings a new start of navigating life with some major changes. Maybe it is a relationship change - a divorce or breakup.

Maybe it is the loss of a loved one that your heart is still trying to heal from.

Maybe it is a move or a job change. It is possible to feel excited for a new year, while also feeling sad and a little scared all at the same time. Human emotions are pretty complex.

I’ve never really been one to make New Year’s resolutions. At this stage in my life I just resolve to try to make every day that I am given count. To love bigger, to care deeper, to hug tighter, and to smile brighter. I have no idea what 2026 has in store for me, but I know and trust the one who knows… and that’s enough.

Happy New Year!