As the Year Comes to an End

Lately, the first thing I notice when I open my laptop is sales. Some days they’re lower than I hoped, and the moment I see that, my mood drops. Nothing dramatic happens, but the whole day feels heavier. It’s the same routine, the same house, the same to-do list, yet everything feels harder to move through. I start questioning myself — whether I missed something, whether a past decision is catching up to me, whether I’m actually going in the right direction.

Then there are days when sales slowly start to move again. Not because of one order, and not in a way that fixes everything, but enough to feel a bit of momentum. And when that happens, I notice myself change. I breathe easier. I focus better. The day doesn’t magically improve, but it feels more manageable. That back and forth has been part of almost every week this year.

A few days ago, I was scrolling through Instagram and saw a post from a friend. She’s a mompreneur too. As I read through what she shared, I could almost feel how hard this year must have been for her. I know what it’s like to try to build something in those short hours between school drop-off and pick-up, carrying both work and motherhood at the same time. I genuinely wanted to celebrate what she managed to build in a year that probably wasn’t easy. It made me think about my own days. They don’t look very neat from the inside. My mood goes up and down. But when I actually stopped and counted, I didn’t disappear. I didn’t give up. I showed up, again and again, and kept my routine going even when things felt slow. New products were launched. Better ones are still being developed. And just being here — still present, still building — suddenly felt like something worth being grateful for.

I once read a short story about a rose asking God why it had thorns, and being told that the thorns weren’t the point — the flower was. I think about that now and realize how much of this year I spent staring at what wasn’t working, instead of noticing what already was. Somehow, 2025 is almost over, and I don’t know where the time went. Looking back, I see how often I let worry speak louder than gratitude, even on days that were actually okay.

I know living with gratitude and sticking to simple routines helps. I also know I don’t do it very well. So instead of waiting for 2026 to feel like a fresh start, I’m trying to stay with today. Being thankful for dinner with my family tonight. For getting through another ordinary day. For being in the middle of a story that isn’t finished yet. I’m not steady, and I’m definitely not perfect, but these days — all of them — are what brought me here.

If you’re ending this year feeling a bit uneven too, you’re not alone.
I hope you can be gentle with yourself today — even if that just means letting one ordinary day be enough.

As this year comes to a close, I hope you find a moment to slow down and breathe.

— Penny, Tidalove