Here is to 2026!!

As we reach the final days of 2025, it's natural to look ahead to 2026 with hope. A better year. Maybe a better version of ourselves. A better job, a better attitude, a healthier body. New goals feel possible when a calendar turns.

But before rushing forward, I want to pause and reflect on what made 2025 meaningful.

This year brought new friendships and the chance to meet incredible people at events across the state and even as far as Missouri and Ohio. It included family time that mattered, like a road trip with my cousin that reminded me how powerful shared experiences can be. These moments, big and small, helped shape a year that deserves gratitude.

And while reflection is important, I'm already looking ahead to 2026 with purpose.

I'm looking toward events that will move me closer to my goal of sharing Annie's story with the one, or two people who truly need it. The ones who need to hear that their experiences aren't isolated. That their feelings of being excluded are real and valid. That it's okay that not everyone celebrates the same things in the same ways.

That has always been the heart of Annie's story: helping children (and adults) see themselves reflected, feel understood, and know they belong.

So here's to 2026. To the events already on the calendar, and to the ones still waiting to be discovered. To growth, connection, and continuing to show up—story by story—for those who need to hear they are not alone.

Here's to what's next.