the characterization of death & rebirth

ello and Happy New Year to those who follow the Gregorian Calendar! Four days into the year, how is it going for you? How did 2025 end for you?

Speaking for myself, I have felt incredibly giddy and, honestly, a bit like Harley Quinn mentally. Don’t test me—I could explode. But we will have a good laugh in the meantime while we wait for the countdown towards the implosion.

As we transition from December to January, we’re rolling into the new year. This holiday season was very different from past ones. I have spent more time being present as a family member— both for my blood and chosen family— than I have in previous years. I don’t know why; it could be a strange coincidence, but many of my loved ones have experienced the death of a family member. I have a very limited understanding of grieving a loved one, having lost my matriarch sometime last summer; I hadn’t known what it meant to lose someone of importance until recently (and even those feelings are still unprocessed). As I crossed state lines to provide physical comfort during the early stages of grief, I found myself healing at the same time. In those silent moments when you don’t know what to say, but you have the desire to say something to bring a moment of joy, there is a strengthening of the relationship you share. An understanding that our time is limited and that it is uncertain whether we will wake up tomorrow or not. So why not make the most of it?

I believe when we grieve people who have transitioned to the Spirit realm, we are also grieving parts of ourselves. Anyone who remains close with us mirrors some aspects of our inner world, and to lose them physically changes something within you. There is a materialization of that trait, that spunk, that persona, that, through memory, becomes a permanent embodiment of their soul that intertwines with yours. It creates this confidence and rebirth within you. It may not be noticeable right away. It may take a few months or even a few years, but what you loved most about that person becomes a part of you until the day you die.

I think 2025 was a year of death, and December was the beginning stages of the rebirth. If you’re anything like me and celebrate the New Year during the Spring Equinox, then this last December was the Climax of the story, where you must now keep pushing to the resolution. And death may not be literal— you didn’t have to bury someone in a casket to let go and let things be. 2025 was relatively painful but beautifully so. With pain comes so much joy, and in this upcoming year, I hope that we reap what we’ve sown from the turmoil. Just make sure you embrace it, and don’t go at it alone if you can help it.