The year of Divine Connection.

My 2025 was a year of Divine Connection.

After a long time alone, I spent much of the year in what many might call a honeymoon phase. Not because everything was perfect—my partner and I had our fair share of challenges—but because after everything we had both been through emotionally and mentally, we made happiness a priority. Sometimes tacitly. For me, openly.

For my part, this meant choosing not to give in to some of my old tendencies to be critical or bossy. Instead, I focused on what was working. What surprised me was how that choice shifted everything. Almost magically, I no longer found myself with anything to be critical or bossy about. I felt that I had grown emotionally, that I was less reactive—but what truly surprised me was how easy it all felt.

In the whole year, I think we had three or four arguments at most, each lasting perhaps an hour. This was entirely new to me. And yet, it felt effortless.

When I look back at the moments that stand out, my daughter’s graduation feels especially significant. It marked not just her achievement, but the culmination of so many years of movement, decisions, and perseverance—for her, for me, and for her father, among others.

From my decision to put her in public school in Spanish Harlem (NYC) for kindergarten, to transferring her to the French Lycée the following year (where I had also studied), to her pleading with me at eleven not to switch schools again when we moved to Cebu in 2013—by then, she had already attended nine schools across three continents (including one in Baguio City). Then came our many struggles during her International Baccalaureate years, and later her decision to leave college in Europe and return to the Philippines. The list goes on.

In terms of challenges, living in Baguio while attending classes in Manila—about a five-hour drive away—stands out. What initially seemed manageable eventually took a toll on me, physically and mentally. And still, I wouldn’t have chosen differently. I will most likely face this challenge again next semester.

Many have described 2025 as a year of preparation, of shedding skin, and I would agree. As such, I’m looking toward 2026 as a year of building—creating something new from the inner work done and the challenges met. Building with a stronger foundation, so that the fruits of the coming year can be more far-reaching and nourishing for all.

Wishing you a gentle close to the year, and a powerful new beginning.