Welcome Back and Happy New Year!

Well, hey there! Long time no see. I’m back and refreshed from my holiday break and ready to start posting again! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a great start to 2026. We ended 2025 in a very chill way by watching the Stranger Things finale (cries) and I was so thankful to spend extra time with family and friends. I’m thankful I decided to prioritize want I wanted versus what others wanted during the holidays, and I hope you were able to do the same. I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions because you can change your life at any point in time, but I do like to set a goal or intention when the new year rolls around. 2025 was all about change and self-discovery, but 2026 is going to be about inner peace and just general calm. It’s easier said than done given everything that’s already been happening this year, but choosing myself and setting boundaries for the sake of my sanity has done wonders. I encourage you all to remember to take care of yourselves even when you’re overwhelmed with information. Take a step back, ground yourself, and do the the things you love. I promise you’ll feel much better once you get into the habit of practicing that mindfulness.

Just a small job update - I’ve been working at the library for almost two months now and I’m starting some new projects here soon! I still love what I do but I’m ready to learn more now that I’ve settled in somewhat. This past week I got to play around with some data regarding collection development and it felt like being a kid on Christmas morning. I was so excited and definitely in my element. I could tell my boss sensed my energy and passion regarding what I was doing and put me in complete charge of the next stages of said project. I’m actually getting duties and responsibilities now, but it isn’t scary! I’m really enjoying it which makes me think that being a librarian “behind the scenes” is more of my thing. I enjoy talking to our patrons, but being back in the shelves and getting my hands on materials is what truly excites me. This makes me think I could work in a collections department with the library or work in archives.

I’ll get to decide that later though because I’ve officially started an application for grad school. Eeek! I’m looking forward to it, which is crazy because I told myself I would not go back to school under any circumstances, ever. Now I know it’s because nothing I thought I would want to study brought out that spark in me. I know it’ll be hard at times but it’ll be worth it. I plan on enrolling for the Fall semester at Valdosta State University so I have time to get myself back into the student mindset. I’m thrilled at the prospect of growing and learning about librarianship!

Since I’m now medicated it’s like my whole perspective on life has changed. It’s a weird thing knowing that this is what being human is supposed to feel like. With that being said, it’s still wintertime and it still gets dark early which for me brings about a lot of sadness - sometimes it’s for a particular reason, and sometimes it’s for no reason at all. It’s still hard to find motivation even with the tools of therapy and the miracle of modern medicine. I truly think wintertime is a time for us to prioritize rest, just like the rest of nature is doing. Our ancestors used to hole up in their houses for months at a time doing nothing but rest and spend time with loved ones. And when the snow melted and everything emerged from hibernation and started to bloom once more is when they went back to work. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve come a long way since then and I’m thankful for the technological advancements we’ve built but people even then got some things right. That’s why I believe the new year should start in the spring instead of the dead of winter. With all of that being said, I don’t want myself or you to feel guilty when you find you need extra sleep for the remainder of the season because our bodies are telling us that’s what it requires to function.

One thing I’ve learned especially in recent years is that living in the present, in this current moment, is all that we need to do instead of constantly thinking or wishing for the next thing. As much as I might wish for spring to be here already I know I’ve got plenty to look forward to before then. The point is don’t wish your life away. You’ll find yourself, as I have, looking back and remembering all of the seemingly mundane moments and wishing you could relive them. I think in 2026 we should do less of that and be more present in the now. Whenever I think of living in the moment I think of the iconic quote from Master Oogway in the iconic film Kung Fu Panda: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow’s a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” Even though it’s a kids’ movie about a panda becoming a kung fu master (and a masterpiece of a kids’ movie, let’s be real here) we can still learn a lot from media geared towards the younger generations. I also think this quote couldn’t be more relevant in today’s age of hustling and bustling and demanding things to happen instantaneously. We could all slow down a bit and just enjoy living.

This winter I want to actually enjoy the season instead of wishing for the next. We have lots to look forward to - new shows, movies, books to read under a warm blanket, activities and places to go, and just life we get to experience. It’s truly a gift and I encourage you to look at it the same way, even if it’s freezing out. I have lots of embroidery projects to look forward to and audiobooks to listen to - you’ll find me on the couch until March! But don’t forget to go out and every once in a while and talk to other people. Again, we are social creatures and we need connections with others to be happy. Social connection and belonging is literally a huge need in the psychological theory that is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Especially since so many of us are battling seasonal depression right now it’s more crucial than ever to make plans to see friends and family.

Well, that conclude’s this month’s blog post. This month, you say?? Yep! Since I am fortunately no longer unemployed that means I have less free time now to write a post as often as every week. I MIGHT do another post later this month, but that is only if I have literally nothing else to do and get tired of doomscrolling, which doesn’t happen often. The next post will most likely be part 3 of the Mason Chronicles, where I take the silly stuff my husband Mason says and write about it - it’s usually something random and quirky but always entertaining. If I don’t write again this month I’ll see you all in February. Drink water, take your meds, do what you love, and just take care of yourselves. I’ll always be in your corner cheering you on!

All my love,

Grace :)

This photo is from a candlelight concert we saw recently. The candles and music were so beautiful! 10/10 date night!