Midyear, Rooted

A midyear reflection

At the halfway point of the year, I’m pausing to reflect. Not to review goals or measure progress, but to pay attention to what I’ve experienced and learned.

I notice how often I tell myself to move on, to be practical, to make sense of things quickly. But I’ve decided to name what’s here.

Unanswered questions. The after effects of an intense period of stress and caregiving and a deeper awareness of my limitations.

Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash

I’m using the 4 words practice that I’ve learned from Sarah E. Westfall to describe the first half of 2026. The words that tell the story are : challenge, grace, gratitude and clarity.

There has been challenge. The kind that first knocks you down, then requires you to respond quickly. No time to waste. That needs you to move forward and do what’s important. To dig deep - to find resources within to face the situation.

What I’ve needed most is grace. Grace to make it through. And grace showed up. It helped me do what I needed to do. Also to live with more authenticity. To admit when I was running on empty. To stop and take a breath. To have a quietly whispered prayer answered - sometimes in unexpected ways. The grace to let go and let God.

Gratitude has steadied me. To find all the little things but important things. To find glimmers on dark days. To not take things for granted. Gratitude has kept me connected to faith and love, reminding me that even in difficulty, I am held.

And somewhere in the midst of all this, I found clarity. Clarity about steps forward. I’m clearer about what nourishes me and what doesn’t. Clearer about the pace that feels sustainable. This clarity has come from being attentive, listening to my body, my heart, and my intuition and writing for guidance.

I’ve been sustained by simple things. By steady routines. By choosing softness instead of self-criticism. By not allowing guilt to stop me from resting or losing my temper or saying when I needed space.

As I reflect on all of this, the question that feels important is not, ‘What should I do next?’ but ‘What kind of investment in myself is the next half of the year seem to be asking of me?’

The answer is to be : Slower. Kinder. More honest.

To remain faithful to what keeps me rooted. Choosing reflection over urgency. Leaving more space between commitments.

So this is where I am at midyear - grateful for what has sustained me. Choosing a way of living that feels rooted, steady, and true.

And for now, that feels like enough.

Some questions that you might like to use for your mid year reflection :

Take one question. Sit with it gently. Let that be enough for today.

• What am I carrying right now that wants to be acknowledged, not fixed?

• Where in my life am I being asked to slow down?

• What has quietly sustained me so far this year?

• What feels heavy and what feels supportive at this point in the year?

• What would it look like to meet the rest of the year with a little more ease?

• What kind of care am I needing most right now?

• What can I release, even slightly, to make more space?