I’m not going to sugarcoat this year,
no glossy finish to polish rough edges,
no cherry on top of storm clouds that lingered
like unwelcome visitors overstaying their hello.

Instead let’s confess—
that sometimes mornings felt like climbing Everest
on an empty stomach,
and silence curled up in the cracks of conversation
like a cat too comfortable to shoo away.

We've learned to speak in sighs,
in eyes meeting across the room, saying more than words could dare.
We found laughter in the creases of crisis,
grasping joy with both hands...