A letter from Dec 27, 2025

Dear FutureMe, You just spent Noche Buena and Christmas Eve with Mom, Andrea, Au--ie and T--u. You had recent tensions with Ya--n and Dad that are still defrosting. However, this was the most chill noche buena ever. Your body needed it, it needed the one week of doing nearly nothing to let your body recover from the wreck that was 2025. And while it was a wreck, there are so many things to be grateful for. Your taxes and HOA didnt increase. You got a promotion. You didnt have to travel much for work this year, besides Brazil! You're rarely needing facials. You're so consistent with going to pilates, the dog park, and your neighborhood bodega that they all know your name now and asks why they didnt see you this week. It feels like home, one that I built out of my own choices. Not dad's fear or my anxieties around him. You understand Mom better and can't even begin to fathom the angel that she is, or the violence and shame she withstood, she never deserved any of that. I hope she gets everything she wants in life and I know she will because abuelita is now watching over her. Now Abuelita, it's hard to believe its been over a year now since you've been gone. I hate that a lot of it feels like you're just still living in another country and I can call you up when I'm not busy etc. Si debi tirar mas fotos y tomar mas vuelos para verte. Pienso mucho en ti, tu vida, todo lo que sacrificaste y aun te llevo en mi corazon, deseando que te estoy haciendo feliz y logrando suenos que depronto aun no sabias que eran posibles. Yo se que todavia me estas bendiciendo desde el cielo. Es la unica manera que logro explicar los milagros de mi cada dia. Laura, this year may have been hard and mostly cause you are hard on yourself (and the system!) but you also grew so much emotionally. You shed R, you shed L, and you're still learning to shed the disrespect you felt from C. Most of all you're still learning to forgive yourself for not knowing better, how could you? You basically raised yourself and your politics/pop culture and animal obsession is what basically saved you. I don't even think you knew living past 30 would be realistic for you. But here you are, despite it all. I hope you know it's okay to dream and relax, you can plan for the future now even when it feels more uncertain than ever. You can do this. I hope these past 6 months you've been able to sit by the water more or at least be more like water, you've got a lot of earth in you but I dont know if you let yourself move or be as graceful as this miracle of life (water.) Do you remember that night where you showered and you cupped your hands together and wandered over the beauty that is this element? dont lose sight of that. Don't lose sight of what you saw that night when you had your fun drinks, and what the universe showed you. I think that vision shined a lot into a lot and helped you see that a different world is possible. It can be done. If not for others, at least yourself. I know the ripple effect it will have. I'm not going to wish anything else for you other than peace and health. No actions. Keep your routines, stay active and healthy, invest in your hobbies and your retirement. oh and wear sunscreen :-)