There’s a sacred stillness that arrives in the final days of December — a quiet invitation to pause, reflect, and listen more deeply to what is stirring within.
For me, this final week of the year has become a cherished ritual. It’s a time to slow down and look ahead with intention, asking myself where I want to place my energy in the year to come.
This is the time I ask myself where I want to place my energy in the coming year. I review my calendar and photos from 2025, reflecting on what brought me joy, what challenged me, what expanded my heart, and where I may have lost focus.
I rewrite my prayer cards for the new year—intentions that guide my daily prayer practice and gently shape my days. This ritual gives me clarity and steadiness as I move forward.
As I approach my 70th year in 2026, these reflections feel especially tender and meaningful. I find myself asking deeper questions now:
What truly mattered this year?
What brings me joy in this season of life?
What is most important now?
My attention continues to shift from achievement toward contribution and gratitude. Grateful for my health, my family, friends and this community. How can I serve my community with meaningful contributions? How can I offer presence, compassion, and love rather than striving for more?
Each year, I also choose a word—something that captures what I wish to focus on and call in. Last year, my word was flourishing, and I truly felt its presence throughout the year. This year, I find myself leaning into a small circle of words: love, grace, joy, compassion, openness.
And perhaps that’s the quiet invitation of this season—to choose love again and again, in small ways and ordinary moments. To let it shape how we listen, how we show up, and how we care for one another.
As the song reminds us, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.”
Perhaps choosing love—and loving kindness intentionally and daily—is one of the most meaningful ways we can begin a new year.
What is your year end tradition or ritual? Do you choose a word for the year? I’d love to hear what’s calling to you.