Becoming: My 2025 in Reflection

2025 shaped me in ways I did not expect. It pressed on my strength and pulled on my softness. It pushed me to see myself clearly. It asked me to honor what I carry and release what no longer fits. It was not an easy year. It was a growing year.

The Year of Holding Everything at Once

I navigated health challenges that forced me to slow down and listen to my body. I cared for my grandma while watching her change in ways my heart was not ready for. I felt grief settle into my daily life. I learned how to keep moving while letting myself feel the truth of what I was losing.

And still, I lived. I traveled. I laughed. I let joy breathe in my life.

I took eight trips this year. I sailed on two cruises and watched the ocean remind me how big and unpredictable life can be. I drove to Chicago to see Beyoncé and felt myself light up in a room full of Black women who showed up in glory and proved that this is our country too. I went to Las Vegas and cheered at my first WNBA game for my favorite team (Go Aces!). I ran to Houston to love on my best friend as she stepped into motherhood. I slipped away to Memphis with my bestie because sometimes escape is medicine. I spent time in Branson for my family reunion. That trip became my last with my grandma. I did not know it then. I feel the weight of it now.

These trips carried me. They gave me air. They gave me something to look forward to. I am ending the year with one more trip to Atlanta for my birthday. I plan to celebrate and honor the woman I am becoming.

The Lessons That Changed Me

Joy is resistance.
This year taught me that joy is not optional. It is a survival tool. It keeps me rooted in the parts of myself that grief cannot touch.

My voice matters.
I spoke up for myself. I set boundaries in work, in health, in family. I told the truth even when my voice shook. I stopped treating my needs like they were interruptions.

I know who I am.
I stopped shrinking. I stood firm in my identity as a Black woman who leads with intention and clarity. I accepted that I do not need to soften myself to be worthy.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Next year isn’t about starting over. It’s about realigning. I feel a shift coming. I am preparing for a move. I’m chasing peace, not perfection. I want to live where my spirit can breathe, where I can express without censoring myself, love without hesitation, and rest without guilt. I want a life that feels aligned with who I am now.

2026 is about alignment. About living in spaces that feel like “yes.” About creating more than I consume. About peace being the measure of success.

If 2025 was about becoming, 2026 is about being.
Fully. Freely. Without apology.