RE: 2025/2026
It’s that time of year again… to recap, reflect, renounce, reclaim, etc. So, here are some of my notes from 2025, and for 2026.
In 2025 I started practicing Nichiren Buddhism through Soka Gakkai International (SGI), and it has completely changed my life. It has connected me to a group of wonderful souls who I have probably been searching for my whole life without realizing it. It has brought me a profound sense of belonging and peace during such a tumultuous time in the world. It has also brought me a deep sense of responsibility and compassion for others and myself, along with many other things I might go more in depth about some other time. And to think that it all started when I asked a friendly stranger a few questions about her presentation at a barbecue hosted outside a church, of all places, is something to marvel at. This personal and spiritual journey was not one I had anticipated, but it is one I will continue to be grateful for and treasure as it continues to transpire over the course of 2026 and the rest of my life.
My dog Lilly had double-knee surgery in 2025 too, which was nerve-wracking after unexpectedly losing my other dog Daisy the year before. Luckily, Lilly’s recovery went smoothly, though it spanned nearly five months, or nearly half the year, often keeping me home-bound. Now Lilly is running with us every morning and has more energy than when she was a puppy, which is amazing, but her recovery offered us a rough couple of months. Still, I am so grateful she is healthy and happy now, and for all the lessons of patience we were given. We also had a few health scares in our family, so all-in-all 2025 was a year that reminded me how precious life is, and how important it is to hold your loved ones as close as possible, even and especially the furry ones.
2025 also taught me a lot about the writer I am, and the writer I’m continuing to evolve into over the course of my life. I started a serial publication, then stopped it, for good reasons I’ll share one day. And I decided to partially abandon a major project I had been working on for years. Believe me, for now, when I tell you how difficult and humbling those decisions were to make. The details are still marinating, so I’ll have to share more about them in the future. Needless to say, I do know that I’m going back to trusting my training and instincts as a writer in 2026, and know my writing will be better for it.
I’m going to keep writing daily posts and working on my current writing project in 2026. But at the moment, I don’t have any other details or plans than that… though I can tell you that I am going to try and be much more engaged and vulnerable on Substack moving forward, as I really want to be more intentional about building a strong community here. I’m also going to try and go for at least one hike per week, which shouldn’t be too difficult where I live in Colorado. And I’m going to start growing some of my own groceries at home, which is necessary for someone like me who has a plant-based diet.
For now, that’s all I have to share, but stay tuned! So far, I’m feeling optimistic and determined in 2026.
What about you? What are your takeaways from 2025, and plans for 2026?
© This work is not available for artificial intelligence (AI) training. All Rights Reserved by K.E. Creighton; Creighton’s Compositions LLC.
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