I've always felt differently about New Year's Eve than many other people do. In some ways, I see it as just another day of the year-- probably the result of my deejay days, when my colleagues, who knew I didn't drink, asked me to work the late night shift so that they could go out and party. So, I sat in the studio and entertained the audience; I took requests and dedications, and I talked to listeners who were feeling alone. I've felt alone on New Year's Eve many times over the years, but gradually, I came to realize that being alone wasn't the worst thing in the world. These days, I hang out at home with my husband, drinking hot chocolate and watching old movies. (There used to be a local station that had a Three Stooges marathon, but that's long gone. So, old movies and classic TV shows are fine.)
For me, New Year's Eve is a time for introspection, a time to reflect on what was good about the past year and what was not. And let's be honest: for many of us, 2025 had more bad stuff than good stuff. Living in a Blue state, we had to endure endless verbal attacks (some unbelievably crude and vulgar) from the president. We also had to endure some arbitrary and vindictive actions, like his decision to cancel grants for medical research (as a cancer survivor, this really hit home-- my life was saved by the results of medical research; this used to be a non-partisan issue, but in 2025, everything was partisan, and states that didn't vote for him felt the brunt of it).
As a historian, it was difficult to watch him bulldoze the East Wing of the White House without any permission, destroying history just because he wanted to build an elaborate ballroom (for decades, that was where First Ladies had their offices, and many dignitaries had meetings there... and now, it's all gone).
My sister lost her job thanks to this president, Elon, and DOGE. My sister was among the many hardworking government workers who worked for both Democrats and Republicans. But she was fired for no reason and with little warning. Lots of government workers were fired for no reason and with little warning. Today, you can barely get a hold of anyone at Social Security, or the Veterans Administration, or numerous other key agencies. I'm not sure what the purpose of firing all those people was, but it hurt a lot of innocent folks-- both those who were fired and those who rely upon those government agencies.
Don't get me started about the pardons, the lack of respect for the rule of law, the hostile takeover of much of the mainstream media, the failure to help Ukraine, the gutting of foreign aid (leaving desperate people in third world countries to fend for themselves, and in some cases, to go without much needed medicine). And while I'm glad that millions of Americans marched and protested peacefully at "No Kings" Rallies, I'd be even gladder if such protests weren't necessary.
But like most years, there were moments of joy-- many Rush fans were both surprised and delighted to hear that the band was reuniting, and it was a privilege for me to be there when the announcement was made. I celebrated my 11th year cancer free; and while I haven't been able to find a full-time job since being laid off, I did find some part-time work that I've enjoyed. I've had some fun playing Wordle with people all over the world. I've seen some of my former students go on to graduate school or find good jobs. The folks I love and care about the most are still in my life, and I value their friendship. My husband and I have been married for 38 years. The guy with autism that we've been helping to take care of is alive and well, and he has been in our lives for 41 years.
The title of this blog post comes from a classic Pat Benatar song from 1981. "Hard to Believe" is about losing the one she loved, when she never expected that he would just leave her. It has two possible meanings: There's the literal one, that it's hard for her to believe he would leave her; and then, there's the other, that when something traumatic happens, it often become hard to believe-- hard to maintain our faith. I've still got mine, but at times this past year, it was certainly tested, along with my sense of humor. Still, hope springs eternal, and the new year is upon us, and maybe things will be better for us all. I certainly hope so. I'm certainly ready for it. And so, however your 2025 was, may your 2026 be even better. May it be a happy and healthy year, and a year when there's more good news than bad. Thanks for reading my blog in 2025, and I wish you the best of all possible new years! 💕
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