Well, hot damn everyone, we made it through another garbage-filled year, and I think it behooves us to start listing the positives rather than dwell on the negatives, lest we fall into complete despair (wait. woops. Out of the Well of Despair I climb.) Here are my top 10 moments of 2025, and I encourage you to make your own lists so you have something to look back on at the end of 2026 and think, “well, maybe that wasn’t so bad!”

I promise I am not trying to ignore/sweep under the rug/step around all the problematic and truly terrifying things that have taken place in 2025. We have a dude in charge (!?!) trying to blow up Venezuela, for fuck’s sake (don’t get me started on the “Department of War” – insert rolling eye emoji.) The ceasefire in Palestine is…not that. Israel, still killing people indiscriminately, still moving the line and taking over Palestinian land, still denying aid, still determined to wipe an entire population off the earth. A data center is being built 5 miles from my house. Not just “a data center” mind you, one of the largest in the US. I am…not ok. Decidedly not ok. But, neither is the entire community, so that’s a silver lining. Neighbors are showing up for this, and by extension, for each other. So the super-lit city council meeting I went to on December 23rd makes my top 10.

Finding 10 may be a struggle, but I am doing it.

10. City Council meeting to try and thwart data center. Newsflash, so far we are not winning. Still great to see so many people turn up for the community.

9. Finally spent time at the beach this year. Combining this one – also read a lot of books. Sometimes, at beach.

8. Was able to spend time with my all-grown-up nieces, both smart and beautiful and I am thrilled to call them friends.

7. Made NEW friends! Got NEW position at job! NEW hair! NEW NEW NEW!

6. Wrote more. I really did. And thought a lot more about writing. So, progress.

5. Got to see the cast of my favorite show in person. If you love hockey but have not seen Shoresy, what are you even doing.

4. Got to see the cast (ha) of my favorite hockey team in person, too. Go Stars.

3. Started a wildflower meadow in the backyard. So many bees. Hours of delight. Added a giant native plant bed in the front yard. Native gardening rules.

2. Spent time with and stayed connected with good friends from all over the country. Talked about hockey, birds, plants, recipes, tarot, life, death, and everything in between. I am eternally blessed with amazing, talented, witty and gorgeous friends, the end.

And 1. Another year with the best husband on the planet. This year, he went to museums with me, he is learning how to customize hockey jerseys and has taught himself how to sew, painted or drew a ton of art, sent me 40,000 memes, and helped me with any home or garden project I had going. He went to nurseries with me. He went to the city council meeting too. We went to hockey games. In short, we spent a lot of time together laughing and doing awesome shit and having hard times and good times and I want to do that for as long as possible with him. It isn’t success unless you have someone to share it with.

Make your own list. Don’t make resolutions. Do more of what makes you be able to write a list like this at the end of 2026. I bet we can all come up with more than just a top 10 if we really try.

Take care of you.