As I sit here on the very first day of 2026, on a quiet Thursday afternoon, I can feel it: 

hope, gratitude, excitement and a sense of peace I didn’t know I was capable of.

Last year wasn’t easy. I lost my mom, and that grief changed me in ways I’m still learning to understand, yet in the middle of that heartbreak, family found its way back to me. Doors I thought were long closed opened again. Love showed up in places I never expected and I’m grateful for that.

I also lost a very good friend, gone without conversation, explanation, or closure, and while it hurt, I chose to thank them anyway. I thanked them for the years we shared, even if they never responded because sometimes people leave without warning and we may never know why. Sometimes endings don’t come with answers. Sometimes they just come.

But here’s the thing:

With endings come beginnings.

With heartbreak comes clarity.

With loss comes room for something new.

And today, on 1/1/2026, I choose to see the good that grew from the hard. I choose gratitude for what was, hope for what’s becoming, and excitement for what’s waiting for me  just beyond the horizon of this brand new year.

My mantra for 2026?

“Kiss it up to God and hand it over to the universe…and keep going.”

Here’s to a year of believing in myself, trusting the journey, loving the lessons, and welcoming every beautiful beginning that’s meant for me.

Happy New Year, my friends.

May 2026 be gentle with us, bold for us, and full of magic we never saw coming.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~