A new year has a way of inviting us to pause. It asks us to look back—at where we’ve been, what we’ve carried, what we’ve survived—and then gently nudges us forward, reminding us that something new is always waiting to be written. This year feels different for me. For the first time, I’m stepping into a new year not just as a writer, but as a published author. There were many moments along the way when this felt impossibly far off. Like so many writers, I carried this story q