With a new year ahead of us, a reset or grounding might not be a bad idea.

On Dec. 31, I finally finished reading a great book I started on Jan. 1, 2025. Yep, it took an entire year to read. But that was the plan.

In many ways, 2025 has been a year of sharp, jagged stab wounds.

What a joy it is to me when we can be with our loved ones. Let us remember the reason for the season.

My brain has changed my daily routine. The most significant impact has been on those precious moments in the morning when I am on the edge of waking up.

At this time of year, whether we celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Christmas, the message is clear: love one another.

Daniel and I are going to bake and decorate Christmas cookies. Or at least we are going to attempt to. I can’t imagine what his will look like, but I’ll give him an A for effort.

From our editorial board: If the Chicago Bears’ stadium saga feels endless, it’s because it is. Years of proposals, renderings, press conferences and open letters have produced exactly one consistent result: nothing.

How do you assess a year that’s about to end? A simple enough task, I thought. But turns out it is not. It began as a challenge in the form of a writing prompt. That’s a writing assignment, if you choose to accept it.