So it's gonna be 2026 tomorrow - Chess Forums

Invincible3443

Dec 31, 2025

0

#1

First off Macca, for those of you who know him, hoped yall had a great Christmas and wishes you a happy new year.

Now on to what I actually made this thread for.

Happy New Year, everyone.

I know I haven’t been around much as i was a while ago. Sure I make the odd thread but I'm never actually around long enough to make it survive. I stepped away for personal reasons, and while I’m back in small ways, I’ve mostly been quiet. As the year ends, I could share the "good" things that happened, the highlights we’re all expected to post but it feels hollow compared to what this year actually taught me.

This year, I learned the true, crushing pain of loss. I lost Soph to her battle with cancer. Losing a person you love to a disease like that changes your entire world. It took me to a very dark place a place where I was tempted to do things that are irreversible. There were moments when I didn't think I would be standing here to write this. Even if I never told anyone that.

But that is exactly why I’m posting. We often celebrate "success" as a list of achievements, but after this year, I see it differently. The only success that truly matters is that you survived 2025. Whether you were grieving, fighting a silent battle, or just trying to find a reason to wake up, you made it through. I am deeply proud of you for that. Survival is not the "consolation prize" it is the greatest victory we have.

As we move into 2026, let’s stop chasing false idols or seeking the approval of a world that doesn't know our struggle.

Forget the expectations of others. The only person you need to please is the one who looks back at you when you stare into the mirror. Take care of that person. They are the one who carried you through the fire.

Wishing you all a year of peace and breath