Writing with Juliet Iwelunmor

As I reflect on this season, I am reminded that the greatest joy of my life is knowing writing as I do here exists to illuminate the world with words simple and complex at times. There are no agenda, just words coming together for the sake of writing. But like a whispered promise, our words have grown, unfolding like a map to reveal a landscape of possibility, one I remain in awe of. 

Words make it possible that I know my beauty, know why I stand, know the depths of my power, know the grace that allows me to fly, and those that keep me from falling. Even if I fall, writing as I do here, also knows how to help me stand. With wisdom and accuracy, writing makes me see myself beyond myself, not according to some standard, but to my own self, and through a lens which knows that so many made it possible that I still stand. This knowledge is one of the best gift writing has given to me. It allowed me to name things about my experience worth naming, so that they are visible and worthy of being recognized. And 2025, meant that we wrote 306 posts with over 43k words reflecting on what it means to parent and do productive work both within and outside academic spaces.

Yet, as I gaze upon these achievements, I am also mindful of the fragility of our endeavors. Writing everyday openly was at risk, and the threat remains. But by grace, we persevere. Reflection also demands honesty, and I confess that in prioritizing, we neglected interactions and what it means to really engage an audience through words. We will rectify this in the new year. But for now,  bask in the joy of the season and thank you for everything you read, every time you liked or shared as you did this year. 

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