Thrive in 2025

My word for 2025 is “Thrive.”

As 2024 came to a close, I knew that 2025 would be a challenging year—the last months of pregnancy, going through labor, adjusting to life with a newborn while parenting a 5- and 8-year-old, taking a summer trip to Japan with all three kids, part-time homeschooling, returning to my part-time job, and (hopefully) continuing to breastfeed.

With three young kids it's easy to fall into just surviving. Parenting is hard! Life is hard! But this year, I’m taking on a personal challenge: to thrive in the season God has given me.

I’ve compiled a list in my journal of different ways to thrive, to flourish, to live my best life. Some days I’ll pick one to write about, and other days I’ll just reflect on how I showed up in that area. I’ll ask myself, “Did I actually do that today? How did it go?” It’s a way for me to stay intentional and keep choosing to thrive instead of just getting by.

Of course, there are (and will be) days when nothing on that list happens. But I’m learning that thriving is a mindset, not a to-do list. I don’t need to write off the whole day if I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to. Thriving can simply mean embracing the flow of the day—moving with the waves instead of fighting them. I often need reminders, from myself and others, that it’s okay not to get everything done; that my priorities in this season are different; and that I shouldn’t treat my blessings as burdens. At the end of the day, I ask myself: Did I love well? If I did that, I count the day as a success. Love is the most important thing, after all. If I didn't feel successful, thank God that I have another chance tomorrow. 

So far, since the baby was born, there have been many thriving moments, even if they’re small. Sleep hasn’t been great, but I haven’t experienced baby blues, which I’m grateful for. The timing helped: the baby arrived just as my two older boys began their two-week spring break, so we were able to ease into things. Family and friends stepped in to take the older kids on little adventures, and with this being our third baby, we knew more of what to expect.

It also helps that the older boys are completely smitten with their baby brother. M even wants to be the baby—seems like a sweet gig to eat, sleep, and be held all day. They both love holding him, and their only real complaint is that he sleeps and eats too much—which means less time for cuddles!

Maybe we’re in the honeymoon phase. As homeschooling ramps up and my husband returns to work, I know I’ll have to keep my focus on thriving—and be gracious with myself when it doesn’t happen. One day at a time. And maybe, just maybe, my boys will notice the effort and adopt a thriving mentality of their own.