{"id":3492,"date":"2026-01-08T12:13:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T12:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/?p=3492"},"modified":"2026-01-08T12:13:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T12:13:34","slug":"to-everyone-who-made-it-to-the-end-of-2025-successful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/to-everyone-who-made-it-to-the-end-of-2025-successful\/","title":{"rendered":"To Everyone Who Made It to the End of 2025 successful"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A year was lived.<br>And somehow, it was survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jobs were lost.<br>Emails went unanswered.<br>Doors were closed without explanations.<br>Dreams were delayed, not because of laziness,<br>but because life demanded survival first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Loved ones were lost.<br>Parents were buried.<br>Siblings were mourned.<br>Friends were remembered through photos, voice notes, and silence.<br>Chairs were left empty at tables that once felt full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Opportunities were missed.<br>Plans were cancelled.<br>Goals were written again and again,<br>then crossed out by reality.<br>Some visions did not come to life this year,<br>and that pain was quietly carried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But still,<br>Breath was kept.<br>Steps were taken.<br>Another morning was seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some vows were exchanged.<br>Hands were held at the altar.<br>Rings were worn with hope and fear together.<br>Some are still single, learning patience the hard way.<br>Some are holding onto the last thread of love,<br>hoping it will not break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Babies were born.<br>Tiny fingers wrapped around tired hands.<br>Sleepless nights were survived with love.<br>Homes were built, brick by brick, prayer by prayer.<br>First passports were stamped.<br>First flights were taken with shaking hearts and big dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And some are still stuck,<br>between passion and paycheck,<br>between what feeds the soul<br>and what puts food on the table.<br>Choices were made, not because they were easy,<br>but because they were necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Storms came.<br>Hurricanes hit.<br>Tears were shed in bathrooms, buses, bedrooms, and quiet prayers.<br>Strength was borrowed when it ran out.<br>Smiles were worn even when hearts were tired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet here we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Standing.<br>Breathing.<br>Still trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So here is a toast,<br>to the ones who did not quit.<br>To the ones who showed up even when hope was low.<br>To the ones who survived silently.<br>To the ones who are still becoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2025 did not break us.<br>It shaped us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that alone<br>is worth honoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/\">Walking Shadow Poetry &#8211; Grow from what\u2019s meant to kill you.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/p\/1AwvLDupsm\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/p\/1AwvLDupsm<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"EP. 15: I Grew up before my age, learning how to hustle at an early age || POETIC SMARTIC | VOAS\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eVUZEJMxxYg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A year was lived.And somehow, it was survived. Jobs were lost.Emails went unanswered.Doors were closed without explanations.Dreams were delayed, not because of laziness,but because life demanded survival first. Loved ones were lost.Parents were buried.Siblings were mourned.Friends were remembered through photos, voice notes, and silence.Chairs were left empty at tables that once felt full. Opportunities were [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[121,97,25,98,1],"tags":[49,34,67,50,61,55,53,22,48],"class_list":["post-3492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poem","category-poetry","category-solitude","category-storytime","category-uncategorized","tag-poetess","tag-poetry","tag-preciousowoko","tag-spokenword","tag-spokenwords","tag-stories","tag-story","tag-walkingshadowpoetry","tag-walkingshadowpoetrykenya"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3194,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/to-the-one-who-held-my-hand-first\/","url_meta":{"origin":3492,"position":0},"title":"To the One Who Held My Hand First.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"April 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Before I knew how to hold a pencil,you held my hand.Before I could write my name,you whispered it with love, again and again.Before I could count from one to ten,you counted on me.You believed I could,even when I didn\u2019t know what \u201cI can\u201d meant. You were more than just a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;poem&quot;","block_context":{"text":"poem","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poem\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/6960c1d2c2fa124d79e52fbac1e1a921.jpg?fit=236%2C354&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2620,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/broken-trust-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":3492,"position":1},"title":"Broken Trust by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"September 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I never thought it would come from you,The one I trusted to see me through.I shared my secrets, my hopes, my fears,But now those memories bring only tears. You were the closest, the one I believed,But in the end, it was you who deceived.I thought we were stronger, thought we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;POETRY&quot;","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"two women sitting on white bench","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-1549280.jpeg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-1549280.jpeg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-1549280.jpeg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-1549280.jpeg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/pexels-photo-1549280.jpeg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2996,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/spoken-word-choosing-me-by-walking-shadow-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":3492,"position":2},"title":"Spoken Word: Choosing Me by walking shadow poetry.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"January 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"You said you wanted something casual,Something simple, no strings attached.But I wasn\u2019t ready for that.I\u2019ve been hurt too many times before,And the last thing I want this yearIs to be just an option.A backup plan.Someone who\u2019s there only when it\u2019s convenient. It wasn\u2019t easy to accept the way things were,To\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;poem&quot;","block_context":{"text":"poem","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poem\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-153204.png?fit=446%2C622&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2533,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/special-human-dad-of-the-year-poem\/","url_meta":{"origin":3492,"position":3},"title":"SPECIAL HUMAN, DAD OF THE YEAR POEM.","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"August 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"From the very start, you\u2019ve been my guide,With you beside me, I\u2019ve never had to hide.Through every twist and every turn,Your love\u2019s a fire that continues to burn. When I was young and full of dreams,You cheered me on, or so it seems.In every step I took, every stumble and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;POETRY&quot;","block_context":{"text":"POETRY","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"father and son hugging","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-4260097.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-4260097.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-4260097.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pexels-photo-4260097.jpeg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3200,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/thank-you-for-loving-me-when-i-was-too-tired-to-love-myself\/","url_meta":{"origin":3492,"position":4},"title":"&#8220;Thank You for Loving Me When I Was Too Tired to Love Myself.&#8221;","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"April 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The one who stayed when life got loud and silent all at once. You didn\u2019t walk in when things were perfect,you showed up when life was messy,when my smile was heavy,and my words were too tired to speak.You didn\u2019t ask me to explain the storm,you just stood next to me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;poem&quot;","block_context":{"text":"poem","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poem\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_2600-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_2600-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_2600-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_2600-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3330,"url":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/we-survived-what-was-meant-to-destroy-us\/","url_meta":{"origin":3492,"position":5},"title":"\u201cWe Survived What Was Meant to Destroy Us\u201d","author":"walking shadow poetry kenya","date":"June 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Walking Shadow Poetry Life doesn\u2019t always send warnings before it breaks us. Some of us have walked through seasons that nearly destroyed everything inside yet here we are. Still breathing. Still building. Still becoming. This piece is a reflection, not just of pain, but of the quiet strength it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;poem&quot;","block_context":{"text":"poem","link":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/SPOKENWORDSandMODERNDAYPOETRY\/poem\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"photo of person standing on grass field during golden hour","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pexels-photo-3550518.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pexels-photo-3550518.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pexels-photo-3550518.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pexels-photo-3550518.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3492"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3495,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3492\/revisions\/3495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/walkingshadowpoetry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}