Rest, Presence, and a Different Kind of Value

I recently read an angelic message for 2026 that stayed with me—not because it predicted what would happen, but because it named something many of us are already living and feeling this year.

At the heart of the message was a simple distinction: being needed and being valued are not the same thing. It suggested that this coming year is less about urgency and indispensability, and more about presence, authenticity, and steadiness—especially as the world around us continues to feel uncertain.

I can't get this out of my head today.

I’ve spent much of my life engaged in work that matters, particularly in education and disability advocacy. For years, being needed felt like purpose. It felt like proof that what I was doing mattered. And in many ways, it did.

But 2025 tested that sense of stability.

When the Ground Shifted

Last year brought significant uncertainty across education and disability systems. Long-standing protections felt fragile. Programs, funding, and structures that families rely on suddenly seemed at risk. Much of what I’ve spent decades advocating for felt unsettled.

That kind of instability doesn’t stay abstract. It shows up in real lives—children, families, educators—people trying to plan for futures that suddenly feel unclear. Holding that reality was disorienting. I felt stretched to the core, not from doing too much, but from standing in the middle of prolonged uncertainty.

There was a constant sense of vigilance. Of needing to stay informed, prepared, responsive. Even moments of rest carried the weight of concern about what might be lost or undone.

By the end of 2025, I could feel how much that instability had changed me.

A Different Pace in 2026

2026 feels different—not because everything is resolved, but because my relationship to the uncertainty is changing.

I see this shift in very real ways. We’re moving into a new home, chosen intentionally rather than reactively. A place designed for living, not managing. A place that supports slowing down, being present, and paying attention to daily life again.

I’m also beginning the work of building a new nonprofit. What feels different this time is not the mission, but the posture. I’m not rushing to prove impact or legitimacy. I’m allowing the work to take shape thoughtfully, guided by values rather than urgency.

For the first time in a while, I’m not bracing for what’s next. My nervous system is a little more balanced.

Being Needed vs. Being Valued

This is where the message for 2026 keeps returning for me.

Being needed often keeps us tethered to urgency. Being valued allows us to stay present.

When systems feel unstable, being needed can feel like responsibility without rest. It can mean constant readiness and constant response. Being valued, on the other hand, doesn’t require that kind of vigilance. It allows room for grounding, reflection, and honesty.

I’m noticing this shift not only in my work, but in my relationships as well. There is more balance now. Less managing. More mutual care. More space to be fully myself, not just a steady presence for others.

That difference matters.

Holding Change with Care

There is grief in this transition.

Grief for systems I trusted more deeply. Grief for a sense of stability that once felt stronger. Grief for ways of working and being that no longer feel sustainable.

But this grief feels different than it might have before. It feels honest and clarifying. Like a recognition that something meaningful is changing—and that I’m being asked to meet that change with care rather than fear.

Being valued feels quieter than being needed. It doesn’t thrive on urgency or constant output. At first, that quiet can feel unfamiliar. But it also feels grounding.

Looking Ahead

As I look toward 2026, what I feel most isn’t urgency—it’s openness. Openness to a new way of being, to letting go of things that no longer serve me. To choosing joy above all else.

I’m looking forward to a year that feels more spacious. A year where I can enjoy the process of building a home, shaping new work, and deepening relationships without feeling like everything is on the line all the time. A year where presence matters as much as progress.

I don’t expect everything to be simple or settled. The world is still complex, and the work still matters deeply. But I feel more grounded in how I want to move through it—less braced, more rooted. Less reactive, more intentional.

I’m excited about living into a different kind of value. One that allows for rest. One that makes room for joy. One that trusts that showing up fully, honestly, and steadily is enough.

If 2025 was about holding my balance on shifting ground, 2026 feels like learning how to walk forward with more ease.

And that feels like something to look forward to. 2026 - bring it on. I'm ready for you.