Another Year of Life Lessons, What Else is New?
2025 has been a very up and down year. To really reflect on it, I’m going to break it into the positives and the negatives, and then end with what I learned along the way.
For starters, I came back to New York. It wasn’t my intention, but at the time it felt like the safest and most practical choice for both me and my dog. Once again, I put my trust in someone who has shown me — repeatedly — that they cannot be depended on. Coming back came with promises and hope, when in reality very little followed through.
More than half of this year was spent having my boundaries crossed. Living in an environment where personal limits were consistently ignored took a quiet but significant emotional toll. It forced me to confront how often I minimize my own discomfort to keep the peace, and how exhausting it is to exist in a space where boundaries are treated as optional.
I’ve felt deeply unappreciated this year, as though my feelings only mattered when they were convenient. Attempts to communicate how certain situations affected me were ignored or brushed aside, and over time I withdrew. Depression settled in, and isolation became a coping mechanism rather than a choice.
Watching people I care about support things that go against my values changed how I see them. The holidays felt like a loss due to broken promises and unresolved tensions, leaving little room for joy or connection.
Overall, I ended the year feeling disconnected — from life, from others, and at times, from myself.
On the positive side, I’m ending this year having completed my education and internship hours for my CASAC program, and I was offered a position as a counselor starting in the new year. No matter how I felt or how heavy my mental health struggles were, I showed up for myself. I finished what I started and stayed committed, even when it was difficult.
I accomplished what I set out to do, and for the first time in a long time, I genuinely feel proud of myself. Going into the new year with this job, I hope to reconnect with life and find things to look forward to again. I also hope to focus on my financial goals and reach a place mentally where I can show up more fully for my family and friends.
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