What I wish for you in 2026

Earlier this week, my 13-year-old son kissed his mother and me goodnight and headed upstairs to bed.

As he walked up the stairs to his bedroom, he looked out our front window and noticed our neighbour, Rosa, shovelling her driveway.

Rosa is an incredible neighbour. The friendliest person you can imagine, but not to the point of being nosy or intrusive in any way.

She'll wave to us whenever she sees us and stop to chat whenever we're open to that.

She'll often send her grandchildren over with plates of freshly baked cookies for us to enjoy, for no reason other than the fact that she knows we'll enjoy them.

Every September, when she makes tomato sauce in her garage with her family, she insists we bring over a pot so that we can have some... then berates us for only bringing a small pot!

You get the idea: as far as neighbours go, you couldn't ask for anyone better.

Rosa is a very capable woman, and she could have certainly shovelled her driveway on her own.

But my son didn't want her out there on her own, in the cold.

So he headed back downstairs, put on his winter coat (over his pyjamas) and boots, and headed outside to help her finish shovelling her driveway.

(This is an AI-generated image, not a photo of my son and Rosa.)

With my son's kindness serving as my inspiration, here's what I wish for you in 2026...

May you be surrounded by "Rosas": friends who share their abundance, their kindness, and their care without ever expecting anything in return.

May you have the clarity to look out the window and notice those around you who may need a hand.

May you have the strength to choose connection over convenience and be willing to "step out into the cold" to help others who may need it.

May you embrace the "coat over pyjamas" spirit: the willingness to do good immediately, even if you feel unpolished or unprepared.

May the kindness and care you show to others be reflected back to you.

And, finally...

May you stop limiting the amount of love and help you can receive: bring a "big pot" to every interaction and be ready to accept the full measure of generosity offered to you.