Happy New Year?

2025

As we step into a new year, our hearts are heavy with the tragedy in New Orleans. We hold those grieving parents, grandparents, siblings, and loved ones close in our thoughts and prayers. Those of us who have known loss realize that they have a long and difficult road ahead. For those who mourn, there is no magic morning when life returns to “normal.” Normal is forever changed, replaced by a new existence shaped by absence.

Many of us have lived in this new “normal” for years. With time, we may gain wisdom, treasures, and insights—gifts born of resilience—but none can outweigh the profound cost of our losses. 

As this year begins, although we may sometimes ache with sadness, let us carry forward the enduring memory of those we love. Their absence, vast as the sky, stretches over everything and shapes who we are. And yet, in a profound and mysterious way, their presence remains—woven into every breath we take and every horizon we gaze upon, forever part of the stories of our lives.

Let us honor them with hope, compassion, and the gentle acknowledgment of their lasting impact. And let us trust that God, in His faithfulness, walks with us every step of the way, holding us tenderly as we navigate this path.