Nearly a year ago, I attempted to begin a collection of memories to connect my siblings by remembering our growing-up years. However, the challenges of health, especially a total knee replacement, limited my creative juices and stifled my motivations.

One of my 2026 New Year’s resolutions is to try again. The format may be different from what I originally imagined. I’m hopeful to summarize texts from our sibling texting thread on our phones into a coherent post as we remember the shared past we had as siblings. Our mother is 94; I’ll ask her about her memories too. I’m confident my siblings will “add” to the post in the comment section with their additional memories, potentially correcting my own memories, and gather our memories for us to celebrate as well as pass on to our children, grandchildren, and friends.

Writing and publishing are vulnerable. While facts matter, I recognize I may not have the facts perfectly correct. Additionally, each of us remembers and recalls shared experiences in different ways for various reasons. May we extend grace, humor, and kindness in this endeavor.