As the year draws to a close, I’ve found myself doing that thing I never used to do in my twenties: feeling everything. Back then I bounced through life a bit more obliviously, never fully aware of the world around me, never really understanding how much weight a single year could carry. But somewhere between life, motherhood, hormones, and running a business that will turn nine next year… things feel different now. Deeper. Maybe even a little more tender.
Maybe it’s age. Maybe it’s wisdom. Maybe it’s just what happens when you’ve lived enough years to realise how quickly they pass.
This year brought its own blend of challenges and joys - the hormonal shifts that arrive like uninvited visitors, the constant balancing act of work and home, and the steady hum of responsibility that comes with running a small business. And woven through it all, one of the biggest blessings: watching my children grow into teenagers who genuinely amaze me. When you hear all the horror stories about those teenage years, I feel nothing but lucky that mine are kind, funny, and grounded in their own ways. It’s one of those quiet gifts that I never take for granted.
For every moment that’s felt overwhelming, there’s been another filled with gratitude. Because for all the worries about next year, the uncertainty of the world, the pressure we put on ourselves - there is still so much good. So much to honour. So much to hold close.
This year reminded me that being human is both the challenge and the joy. We grow, we wobble, we love, we change, and we discover new parts of ourselves just when we think we’ve figured it all out. We look back at old photos and wonder where the time went, then look at who our children are becoming and feel quietly proud. We learn to soften with age, even when life demands strength.
And maybe that’s what the end of the year is really about - recognising the hard parts without letting them win and giving ourselves credit for the fact that we kept going anyway.
So, as we step into 2026, I’m holding onto this: hope. Not the loud, confident kind, but the gentle kind that sits quietly in your pocket and whispers, “It might all be wonderful.”
Thank you for being here with me this year - for reading, for supporting, for lighting JoJo Co. candles in your homes that somehow connect us, even if we’ve never met. I don’t take it for granted for a single moment.
Here’s to the year we’ve lived, with all its imperfections. Here’s to the year ahead, with all its possibilities. And here’s to us - growing older, wiser, softer, and maybe even braver than we realise.
Happy New Year, lovely people. May it meet you kindly. ✨
