Many of you know that I went in for emergency surgery on Christmas Eve. The weeks since have been slower than I expected. Healing has meant walking, resting, paying attention, and letting things stay unfinished a little longer than I would normally feel comfortable with.

I keep trying to picture this year and I cannot see it clearly yet. That is pretty unusual for me. I usually start January with a strong sense of direction and a long list of ideas. This year I notice a bit more hesitation. I notice myself resisting the urge to define outcomes before I understand what is actually being asked of me.

One sentence keeps repeating in my head.
Caring deeper does not always mean wider.

That sentence feels connected to this time and to The Giving Gifts. Funding continues to shift, that’s definitely real, and the pressure to respond by creating programs, structures, and proof is very present. I feel it often. I also recognize how quickly that pressure pulls the work away from what made it meaningful in the first place.

Right now I am paying attention to depth. To relationships. To what is being asked of us by the people we are connected to rather than by timelines or expectations. I am trying to let this work grow from listening instead of urgency.

This does not mean less care or smaller commitment. It means moving with intention and honesty instead of fear. It means allowing the shape of the work to emerge instead of forcing it into something legible too quickly.

As we enter 2026, I do not have a finalized plan to share. I do have clarity about what I am prioritizing. Care that is real. Decisions that are relational. Work that stays grounded in the community rather than in performance.

I am grateful for the people who continue to show up for this work and for me. Your presence matters more than you know. This email is not an ask. It is a check-in. A way of naming where things stand and inviting you into the year as it unfolds.

If you want to respond, I would love to hear from you. A few words is enough. Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing more about what is forming for this year and what is needed to support it.

Thank you for being here and for staying connected as we move into this next chapter.