One Question That Changed How I See This Calendar Year

Someone recently asked me at a holiday party a simple question that stopped me in my tracks:

“What was the best thing that happened to you in 2025?”

I had to pause. Not because nothing good happened, but because the answer wasn’t loud or flashy. It didn’t come wrapped in an achievement or a headline moment.

The first thing that came to mind was this: I moved.

I packed up decades of memories from a house I had been married in, divorced and raised my children in, hosted family gatherings and friends and gardened in and moved into a home I renovated and made completely my own. Every corner in my new home is filled with intention, and not with “stuff”. And every morning as I move from one room to another, preparing for the day, I find myself thinking, “I love my space.”

That feeling still surprises me. Not because I didn’t envision it, but because there’s something deeply grounding about living in a space that reflects who you are now, not who you used to be.

So far, I have moved a total of 10 times in my entire life. I realized I was more excited about this move than I was moving out of my parents house and into my first college dorm.

The second thing that came to mind was my children.

They work together in the business my daughter started, Zaza's Kitchen.

Not just coexist. Not just tolerate. They collaborate. They support one another. They move as a team. Watching that unfold has been one of the quiet miracles of my year. A reminder that the seeds we plant with care do, in fact, blossom and grow into beautiful blooms.

Neither of these moments would make a year-end highlight reel. But together, they represent stability, alignment, and a sense of peace I don’t take for granted in a world riddled with chaos.

So as this year comes to a close, I want to offer that same question to you:

What was the best thing that happened to you this year?

Take a moment. Sit with it. I would really appreciate it if you would reply to this email and share it with me. Ireally enjoy hearing from you. Or perhaps, write it down somewhere just for yourself, as a reminder of what mattered, what held you, and what you want to carry forward.

May you enter 2026 rooted in gratitude and open to what’s next.

With warmth and love always, in all ways,

Vena