The Best of 2025: Finding Light in Darkness

So… this has been a year. In the darkest times, light shines the most brightly. Here is a list of my Top 10 sparks of illumination for 2025:

Art

1.     Anoushka Shankar’s exquisite EP “Chapter III: We Return to Light”. This is musical joy. Check out “We Burn So Brightly”, from the release, and this live performance: KEXP.

2.     Grand Egyptian Museum opened in August 2025 in Cairo. As a child, I visited the British Museum and saw the extraordinary artifacts stolen away from the communities where they were crafted. As an adult, I would love the see the real thing in the real place.

Politics

3.     ICE Protests in Portland, OR resembled the apocalypse. For real. There were frogs. Check out the coverage from my favorite newspaper, The Oregonian.

4.     Clergy declaring a state of emergency against ICE. The American Catholic Church has found its moral footing at the exact moment we need ethical leadership. Thank you, thank you, to the bold and brave clergy of many denominations, but especially the Catholic Church during these dark days of government abductions. Remember, these innocent immigrants were brought to our country to work by Americans who financially benefit from having them here.

5.     The rise of the survivors of Epstein is bringing accountability to power. Princes and presidents will go down because of their sexual assault on children and trafficked young women. This is a historical moment of justice. Pay attention.

Entertainment

6.     The Residence is the most delightful, thoughtful, and prescient stream this season. This fun and intriguing binge explores what it means to be American. This series is also an uncanny prediction of the harm to be done on the People’s House.

7.      Frankenstein as envisioned by Guillermo del Toro is a brilliant and twisted delight. The monster has a story of his own.

8.     Capital City Chorus of Olympia provided the holiday cheer I needed this season. Local semi-professional and professional choirs are a gift. Find your local creative nonprofit and enjoy!

Personal Gratitude

9.     My kids are doing okay. As a mother, this means everything to me.  In 2025, my older son ran two local campaigns and both candidates won. My younger son is on his second deployment for the year, and he is keeping up both his spirits and his moral center. Thank God and may it stay so.

10.  Meaningful work. Being present for the illness and dying processes of patients is a privilege. Humans are most precious when they are vulnerable. Those who understand this can be of service in the most extraordinary moments, finding peace, beauty… maybe even God.