2025 has been the most physically challenging year of my life.
It began in February, a turning point that changed everything. That was the month I made the difficult but necessary decision to stop drinking for health reasons. At the time, I did not fully understand how much my body had already been asking for rest, care, and change. I only knew that something had to give, and that choosing my health had to come first.
As the year unfolded, it felt like challenge after challenge followed. There were the natural disasters, the earthquake and Typhoon Tino, moments that reminded me how fragile life can be and how little control we sometimes have over the world around us. In the midst of all that, my own body began to demand even more attention. I dealt with GERD, then diabetic gastropathy, conditions that affected not only my physical strength but also my daily routine, my comfort, and my sense of normalcy.
Eventually, surgery for a hiatal hernia became part of the journey. It was frightening, humbling, and exhausting. Recovery was not instant. It required patience, discipline, and learning to slow down in ways I never had before. Day by day, I worked through the healing process, listening more closely to my body and respecting its limits. Just when the year was drawing to a close, a persistent cough appeared, a small but fitting reminder of how much this body had been through in such a short span of time.
Through all of this, I kept going. I learned patience where I once rushed. I learned gratitude for small improvements. I learned that healing is rarely straightforward, and that progress often comes quietly, one careful step at a time. Most of all, I learned resilience, the kind that grows when you have no choice but to move forward.
2026 will be my year of recovery. It will be a year of rebuilding strength, restoring balance, and choosing health again and again. It will be a year of gentler days, clearer boundaries, and deeper appreciation for what it means to feel well.
Goodbye, 2025. Thank you for the lessons you forced me to learn.
Hello, 2026. I am ready for healing, growth, and renewal.