It hasn’t been an easy year. I spent a long time in darkness in 2024; never before in my life had there been so many things out of my control while simultaneously adapting to a new culture. I became an immigrant, and over the past two-plus years, there’s been nothing I’ve done more than learn.
Yes, I’ve convinced myself that it’s better not to complain and instead to call this year one of immense learning. I won’t lie—it was very hard to make peace with the idea of not complaining over the last few months. But truly, this was a year where learning prevailed: another year of losing loved ones (a recurring theme of the 2000s), this time, my half-sister, only 33 years old.
Through all this, I felt trapped, without light. The combined demands of transferring my career here and the obligation to make it work made my life unbearable. The news was always grim until, with immense help from my wife, who went to battle alongside me, and under the constant illumination of my beloved daughter, who will always be by my side, I was lifted—not just by them but by angels. Divine ones, even if they lacked visible wings.
Out of nowhere, there were a pair of blue eyes. It felt as though I was at the bottom of a well, nearly resigned to my fate when someone generous enough to stop and notice me did just that. That person was Don, an angel. Don had many friends, and upon seeing someone in need, he called for reinforcements—a convoy of generosity and hope! Together, they pulled me up.
Steve came next. I didn’t know how to act around him—I needed to show I was capable, but I felt the opposite. Steve responded to my ignorance and confusion with friendship. And soon after came Dave, the third! Dave, besides helping pull me out of that dark place, said, “If you can’t go straight, take a turn.”
The truth is, I wasn’t just in the dark; I was also heavier, neglected. Then, suddenly, more angels began appearing, adding their strength to keep Don’s flag of generosity flying: Meagan, Mike, JP, José, John—the great one—Jim and his wife, and the brilliant Kim, as bright as daylight!
It seems that this is what life is about. It felt like my moment would never come, but it’s arriving. Just like all the novelties of 2024—both good and instructive—I look forward to 2025 like I’ve never awaited a new year in my 43 years of life. I owe Don a debt that I hope to honor year after year: keeping his flag raised and active. In this new year, I want to belong. I want to finally start this new, civilized life, as we all deserve. Yet I know, I’ve seen, that although the sun should warm everyone, there are those who don’t even see the light.
May 2025 be a generous year for everyone, but especially for those who need it the most.