This past year has been one of the most profoundly unsettling and disillusioning periods of my life. Rather than reflecting stability or progress, it has been defined by an unrelenting sequence of political chaos, public tragedies, and institutional failures that collectively exposed the fragility of our social and moral foundations. Events that should have been unthinkable, or at the very least exceptional, were instead absorbed into the daily news cycle, reinforcing a disturbing sense that disorder and injustice had become normalized.

The year was marked by deeply polarizing and distressing incidents involving prominent public figures and government authorities. The killing of Charlie Kirk, the aggressive immigration policies advanced under Donald Trump, and the deployment of ICE and federal immigration agents to carry out widespread deportations intensified public fear, outrage, and division. These actions, often framed as necessary or lawful, appeared to many as indiscriminate and devoid of compassion, resulting in innocent individuals and families bearing irreversible consequences. Rather than addressing systemic issues with care and accountability, power was repeatedly exercised in ways that escalated harm and deepened societal fractures.

Compounding this unrest were additional public tragedies involving well-known figures, as well as instances of personal loss and death that further contributed to a collective sense of instability. The sheer volume of these events over a single year created an atmosphere of emotional exhaustion and moral numbness. What was most infuriating was not only the tragedies themselves, but the manner in which they were treated, reduced to headlines, politicized talking points, or moments of fleeting outrage before being swiftly replaced by the next crisis.

Equally alarming was the erosion of civil discourse and ethical leadership. Meaningful dialogue was consistently overshadowed by misinformation, performative outrage, and a refusal to engage in good-faith discussion. Those in positions of influence frequently failed to demonstrate accountability or empathy, while the public was left to navigate the consequences of decisions made without transparency or concern for human dignity.

As we approach 2026, I am not merely relieved that this year has come to an end, I am deeply frustrated by what it revealed. A new year should not simply represent a reset of the calendar, but a demand for reflection, responsibility, and reform. If we are to call ourselves a functional and decent civilization, we must reject chaos as an acceptable norm, prioritize humanity over ideology, and learn to coexist with empathy and reason. Without meaningful change, the passage of time alone will offer no relief.