little joys and little sorrows #20

reflecting on on december, 2025 as a whole and what i’m looking forward to in 2026

hello quiet reader,

with the winter solstice and all the anticipation and cheer of christmas behind us, we’re officially in the depths of winter. this is the time when even if everything on the surface seems still, there is an abundance of new growth just around the corner, in the soil and in our hearts too.

but before we get too excited about what’s to come, it’s important to remember what has been. what have been your favourite moments this year? maybe some not-so-great moments? taking time to remember what we’ve overcome and achieved, big and small, will help guide us in the right direction for the new year. personally, i’ve been taking the past couple of years to rest and take things slow, but next year, i think i’m ready to take a few risks and put myself out there a bit more.

as you read through my last lists of the year, maybe have a think of your own little joys and sorrows for december and 2025. and if you like, jot some down in the comments to mark the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one.

okay, let’s get into the lists.

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little joys

• for december…

• this was the month i truly fell in love with the library

• discovering this post by amy stewart about self-appointing yourself as an artist in residence. i love this idea so much, and i can’t wait to be annoying about it. i’m already prepared to be the artist in residence for spring and i’m thinking about starting the year being the artist in residence for my local library

• remembering nail stickers exist and that i don’t have to be an expert artist with the world’s steadiest hand to have pretty nails

• going to winter wonderland with my bestie and creating more core memories with her (and winning one of those humongous plushies!)

• turning london into somewhere i can just travel to for the day and not feel so far away from my friends now that i’ve moved to norfolk

• going down to the beach to see all the seals! it’s mating season so the beach was practically covered in seals and little babies, and we got so close to them in the sand dunes, it was incredible

• an old friend i hadn’t seen in actual years came to visit me and it was so wholesome. showing her around made me feel like norfolk was really home

• staying with my partner’s family for christmas and being the only one that the very anxious dog would want to sit next to and rest her head on my lap yes i’m still crying

• the incredibly thoughtful gifts my partner got me including an art piece at a gallery we went to together. he went back and got it for me the same day and i had no idea!

• also realising that i’m incredibly easy to buy gifts for which i’m taking as a high compliment

• and the rest of the year…

• buying a house has to be number one. we started our search back in 2024, so i had an idea that the big move might happen this year, but it was still so incredible to find the perfect house, quit our jobs and start a new life together in a new city

• and decorating said house of course. i love her so much

• my birthday this year was probably one of the best i’ve ever had

• having 1,000 readers as my goal for 2025 and ending the year on 11,000! that’s all thanks to you!! <33

• the fact that i had no set reading goal this year and decided to read on my own terms and still reading 25 books this year anyway (read about everything i read here)

• all the sunsets i saw

• had some absolutely glorious cups of tea this year

• buying myself a nintendo 2ds xl and all the joy in my life that has followed

• showing up on substack every week for two years straight. probably one of my biggest accomplishments

little sorrows

• being stranded on a freezing cold platform in london and waiting four hours for a train back to norfolk and getting home at 3am. i don’t want to see london for a while :)

• experiencing the most unwelcoming and uncomfortable work environment ever

• seeing the effects a horrible job can have on a relationship

• all the times i cried because of my london corporate job

• i’ve technically quit two jobs this year, but i don’t regret anything

• between moving, starting a new job, decorating, travelling, i have absolutely forgotten that my houseplants existed and they are suffering

• feeling friendships drift away, not really knowing where you stand

things i’m looking forward to in 2026

• remembering i have free will and seeing how far this mindset takes me. my mantra for the year is “go for it” and i’m equally excited and terrified about where i’ll end up

• i’m not too into astrology but apparently it’s a big year for leos, and it’s my saturn return… should i be worried?

• more viewing on my desktop and more blogging!

• more library visits and all the books i’m going to borrow

• leaning into self-study, exploring consciousness and psychology in particular (and using the library for research)

• continuing to avoid polyester and make meaningful purchases

• watching more informative rather than pure entertainment-focused youtube videos

• more posting on my youtube channel (really want to take it seriously next year)

a train station somewhere in london (2025)

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thank you for reading this week’s post. don’t forget to jot down your own little joys and little sorrows for 2025 in the comments if you feel comfortable. i always love to read about them.

i hope you’ve all had a wonderful holiday period and i’m wishing you nothing but the best in 2026. i’ll see you next year! <3