I’ll be honest. I meant to write this reflection last week, before Thanksgiving arrived. But I didn’t. Not because I lacked things to appreciate this year. I absolutely do. But because the one thing standing in the way of that joy is heavy enough to overshadow everything else.
Many of you already know that my mom passed away in June. She was 76. She had been living with congestive heart failure for years, and we all knew her health was fragile. But a stroke took her from us, and nothing prepares you for that kind of finality. If you’ve ever lost a parent, you understand the deep cut of that loss. It’s a pain unlike anything else, and contrary to the old saying, time hasn’t softened it for me. If anything, the ache has sharpened over the past six months.
I miss her in the smallest, most unassuming moments, the places grief likes to hide. When I want to call her for a recipe. When I wish I could ask her to quilt a blanket for a friend’s new baby. When I look around during the holidays and think, She should be here. Those are the moments that stop me cold.
New Joy Amidst Loss
And yet, even in a year shaped by grief, there have been bright spots I hold close. The biggest one came just a month before she passed: the birth of my first grandchild. There’s something almost indescribable about watching your child become a parent. This little boy has brought a new kind of tenderness into my life, one I didn’t even realize I was waiting for. And I am deeply thankful that my mom got to meet him. Only once, but once was enough to stay with me forever.
A Career to Celebrate
I’m also thankful for my work. 2025 has been a meaningful year for my career, filled with new clients I genuinely enjoy partnering with. On top of that, I released two books this year:
- The Top 10 Mistakes I Made My First Year as a Copywriter (2025) – A practical guide for new and aspiring business writers.
- Emily’s Next Chapter (2025) – Book one in the Starting Over trilogy, Emily’s Next Chapter is a story about love, family, and the courage to begin again.
And while those were hitting shelves, I also completed the manuscripts for three more books coming in 2026:
- Jessica’s New Beginning (2026) – Book two in the trilogy, Jessica’s New Beginning is a romantic, emotionally layered story about rediscovery and passion.
- Liz’s Forever After (2026) – The final book in the trilogy, this story offers a journey toward new love, deeper connection, and unexpected change.
- The House Always Wins (2026) – A spicy Deadwood romance filled with desire, tension, and secrets. This novella will be released as a standalone, with a shorter version included in the anthology for Wild Deadwood Reads in June 2026.
This year, I visited 20 bookstores across Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, and joined 14 additional events. Meeting readers, hearing what resonated with them, and talking about these stories has been one of the brightest parts of my year. Those conversations reminded me that writing connects us in ways nothing else can.
A Reminder to Remain Thankful and Demonstrate Gratitude
So when I take stock of 2025, I do see the gifts. My family, especially my dad, who is determined to be here for many years ahead. My work. My health. And the stories that keep finding their way onto the page.
It’s just been hard. Grief and gratitude don’t cancel each other out. They simply coexist. And this year, I’m learning how to hold both.