Reflections At The Close Of 2025

Earlier this spring, I wrote, almost in passing that three of my blogs had crossed a milestone I never imagined when I began writing years ago: over one million page views. Numbers can feel abstract, but that figure represented something deeply personal to me. It meant that stories shaped by memory, faith, family, public service, and quiet reflection had found their way into the lives of others. At my age, that kind of connection feels like a blessing, not an achievement.

Beau David-one of my great grandson born July 7, 2025

Then summer arrived, carrying with it one of life’s rarest gifts. I became a great-grandfather, twice. Holding that truth still feels astonishing. Four generations alive at once is a humbling reminder that life does not end with us; it flows through us. In those moments, the future felt very close, wrapped in tiny hands and carried forward by names, stories, and love that will outlast my own days.

My 91st Birthday Lunch at FOB Kitchen in Oakland Temescal District with Family

And just last week, I celebrated my 91st birthday, not for a few quiet hours, but over two joyful days. Family, laughter, memories retold and newly made. I documented those moments in my blogs, not to mark time, but to honor it. At ninety-one, birthdays are no longer about candles or wishes. They are about presence. About being here. About still having stories worth telling and people who want to hear them.

If there is a lesson 2025 has gently reinforced for me, it is this: aging is not a narrowing of life, but a deepening of it. Faith, too, has deepened, not louder or more certain, but quieter and more trusting. I have come to believe that God is found as much in endurance as in celebration, as much in listening as in speaking. Success looks different now. It is measured in shared meals, growing families, faithful readers, and mornings when gratitude arrives before worry.

As this year closes, I do not look ahead with urgency. I look forward with trust. At this stage of life, time feels less like something to be spent and more like something to be received. Legacy, I am learning, is not built through grand gestures but through small faithfulness, showing up, telling the truth as we see it, loving those placed in our care, and leaving behind words that might steady or comfort someone we may never meet. Whatever days remain, may they be lived attentively, written honestly, and shared generously.

For now, that is enough- Semper gratus!

May the days ahead, few or may be held gently in God’s care. May gratitude rise with each morning light, and peace settle in the quiet of evening. May our words continue to serve, our love continue to widen, and our lives, even in their later chapters, bear witness to Grace and Gratitude. Amen.

Related Article:Twelve Reflections for 2025

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/12-reflections-2025-siobhan-lettice-viwke/

My Photos of the Day-Great Grandson-Beau David Joseph

Enjoying Our Pedicure-Sunday Afternoon(12-28-25) at Diva Nails-Me, Carenna and Ditas

Lastly,  Based on recent surveys for 2026, the top five most popular New Year's resolutions among Americans are generally related to health and finances.

 

1. Exercise More Nearly half of US adults commit to fitness goals.
2. Eat Healthier This is a consistently popular goal, often paired with exercise and weight loss.
3. Save More Money Many people aim to improve their financial health after holiday spending.
4. Improve Physical Health This general health goal often includes elements of diet and exercise.
5. Be Happy / Improve Mental Health A significant number of people focus on overall well-being and mental health in the new year.

 

New Year Greetings from My Home ( THD) to Yours, Wherever You Are!