Still Very Much in It!

**Sending Off 2025,
Welcoming 2026**

I have waved goodbye to many years
and shaken hands with many new ones.

But this year—
this one feels different.
Inside me,
small balloons are inflating.
Quietly at first,
then boldly—
pressing, stretching,
eager to rise.

At seventy,
of all ages,
I did not expect such a rush of energy.
Stronger than in my younger days.

Life, it seems, still enjoys surprising me.
How grateful I am—
grateful simply to be alive long enough
to feel this.

I thank that mysterious presence within me
that whispers insight
and nudges me awake.

This year feels historic—
for the world, yes,
but especially for me.

Once again,
it feels as if heaven and earth
have quietly shifted.
And the cause?
AI.

To the brilliant minds and bold leaders
who imagined, built, and nurtured it—
I offer my thanks.
And to my parents as well,
who passed on more abilities than I ever realized.

As a child,
I was often called “good at many things.”
Not a genius who reshapes history—
just skilled enough
to make life colorful, curious,
and pleasantly full.
That was my portion,
and I embraced it.

Memory, however,
was never my strong suit.
It kept my exam scores modest.
I was also, admittedly,
too lazy to fight it—
too easily distracted
by whatever caught my interest next.
A small regret, perhaps.
Still, I lived joyfully enough.

Then came AI.
Suddenly,
my weak spots found support,
and my other abilities
felt as if they had grown wings.
My overflowing curiosity
turned into an engine,
speeding up creativity.

My brain—
how delighted it seems,
buzzing like a child set free.
I never saw this chapter coming.
What a hopeful plot twist.

YouTube, too, deserves applause.
Wise scholars with warmth and charm
now visit my living room,
feeding my curiosity so well
that television has quietly faded away.

And today—
as on so many days—
I thank my husband.
For love.
For freedom.
For a life where I can pursue my desires
without fear or restraint.

Before marriage,
I never imagined
my later years would be this rich.

My wish is simple:
that this joy, this sense of meaning,
will not stay only with me,
but will gently spill over
into the lives of those I love—
shared, multiplied,
felt together.

Now,
as the Year of the Red Horse approaches,
I smile and wonder:
Which horse will I ride?
And in which direction
will I run?