How's Every Little Thing?
January 31, 2026
Can you believe it? January 31st…already!??
We’re far enough into the year now that the confetti has been swept away, and I’ve already got coffee stains on my crisp white 2026 calendar. The bright, shiny sense of “new” has softened into ordinary time, and 2026 has had just enough time to show me a little of what it’s going to be.
Mid-Missouri got socked with a good-sized snow last weekend — enough that it required getting out the tractor — and the prediction for tomorrow was for more snow. But the weather app seems to indicate that original forecast has fizzled out.
I. Am. Not. Complaining.
It’s a Check-In, Not a Report Card
Last week my very most favorite high school teacher (English) died at the ripe old age of 89. Reading Mrs. Engelbrecht’s obituary has gotten me thinking back to high school, what I was like then, and how, I’ve changed in all the years between the “then” and the “now.”
I threw heaps of stress and anxiety on myself because I perceived a direct correlation between my value and worth as a person and my grades. High school, college, grad school — so long as there were neat tidy rows of As lined up like good little soldiers — I was a good person, a smart person, a person who was worthy of love.
Along the way I’ve gotten older and wiser. No longer do I see my life as a graded event. So when I suggest an end-of-the month check-in, it’s not a report card from a teacher or a performance review from a supervisor.
It’s a check-in. Period. Full stop.
A check-in is a pause. A reflection point. A chance to notice what’s working, what feels heavy or awkward, what’s been surprising, what to add in or edit out as the year continues.
Sometimes the most important way to be resilient is by telling the truth about who and where we are.
So on this last day of January: How is your year going thus far?
Not the pie in the sky of how you hoped it would go, or the way you planned it on January 1, but how is this year actually unfolding?
Remembering My Bounce
As you may remember, my word for 2026 is bounce, and already, just weeks into the year, I’ve. Needed. This. Word!
I’ve needed this word because it’s not the bounce of forced cheerfulness or pretending life isn’t hard. Rather, this is bouncing back, a bounce that absorbs impact, a bounce that keeps me in rhythm…even if I’ve sometimes found that rhythm to be a little more syncopated than I planned.
😉
There have been moments of good momentum — and moments where the year pushed back in hard, unexpected ways.
Bounce keeps reminding me that resilience isn’t about staying upright at all costs. It’s about trusting that when I lose my footing, I can find it again.
Bounce asks:
What helps me recover?
What restores my rhythm?
Where can I soften instead of stiffen?
Where can I bend rather than break?
What’s Your Word?
So what word did you choose a word for the year?
This last day of the first month might be a good moment to revisit your choice. Not to judge how well you’re “doing,” but to ask: how is this word meeting me or shaping me right now?
What if you didn’t choose a word?
You’re not behind. You’re still allowed to choose a word for the year.
If you have a word, but as you reach the end of the month you find yourself thinking “nah — this isn’t the right word” — that’s okay, too!
I’ve been known to defenestrate a word and select something new that suited me better!
Sweet Milestones: A First Birthday
This check-in moment also happens to coincide with something close to my heart. February 4th marks the first birthday of my children’s book Love! It’s Show and Tell.
When I wrote this Holly book, I wasn’t thinking about grand gestures or perfect expressions of love. I was thinking about the small, everyday ways love shows up in the things we do:
in patience
in kindness
in listening
in showing up again and again
In so many ways, the message of this book aligns beautifully with this year’s word because love has bounce! Love stretches, adapts, and shows itself not just once, but over and over, in the most ordinary of moments.
Watching the book make its way into families, classrooms, and bedtime routines over the past year has been one of the quiet joys of my life.
So with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I invite you to consider Love! It’s Show and Tell as a meaningful, non-sugary, gluten-free Valentine’s gift! It’s a book that reminds us that love isn’t just something we say, it’s something we do.
For children, yes — but honestly, this book is for all of us. How often do we say “I love my kids more than anything!”? But do we love them enough to stop scrolling social media, put down the phone and give them our undivided attention? How do we show our love to the people we love the most?
That’s the question and the reminder at the heart of Love! It’s Show and Tell.
If you’re looking for a gift that points toward kindness, empathy, and everyday love, this little book carries that message beautifully. Here are links if you would like to pick up a copy.
A Question and an Invitation
A Question: How’s your year going so far — really — and what would help you as you adventure into this new month of February that begins tomorrow?
An Invitation: Make a cup or something warm and settle into a quiet spot. Or maybe grab a coat and cold weather gear to take a walk in the brisk winter air. Whatever you choose, take a moment to pause and reflect on:
What’s on what’s giving you energy?
What’s draining it your energy?
What’s working?
What feels heavy or awkward?
What’s surprised you?
There’s no need to start over or overhaul the year. Sometimes all we need are small adjustments. A softer step. A kinder rhythm.
If you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear from you in the comments or drop me a .
With warmth (because it’s January!) and encouragement (because tomorrow’s another day!).
Best!
