We welcomed the New Year’s Day in Istanbul with snow. A perfect start to the new year – a clean slate of white all around – just waiting to be written on – full of possibilities. This time of the year – the transition from the old to the new – is one of my most favourite. I love how everything slows down towards the end of year, leaving time to reflect, refresh and recharge ourselves once more for the new year.
Of course, one may say it is rhetorical – nothing new will suddenly happen – the earth continues on its journey around the sun and days become nights, like any other. We carry on with our lives just as we have been doing. But there is something in this shared pause – an invitation to reflect, reset, and believe that new beginnings are still within reach. I find comfort in the feeling that this moment invites intention, reflection, and the courage to start again.
I spent yesterday, the last day of 2025, with the man I built my life with, walking the seafront, listening to the waves and the cry of seagulls, watching them take flight and then gracefully settling back on the water. The blue of the Bosphorus mirrored the brilliant blue of the sky – both washed by the brilliant winter sun. That moment captured everything that was perfect with my life. I felt at peace with myself and the life we have created for ourselves.
The Year That Never Paused
But of course, that’s not really how 2025 was! It was anything but peaceful! If you had asked me a couple of months ago – I would have said 2025 felt like walking on a treadmill – no, running on a treadmill where someone kept increasing the speed and incline! Much the like the hated TMT tests I undergo every year – where the medical staff merciless increase the speed, while I huff and puff!
But do not misunderstand – 2025 was a great year – as I had hoped at the beginning of the year, this was a year of growth and learning. I worked on many new topics, learnt a whole lot of new things and worked with many new and different colleagues. I loved the increase in work – though more often than not, work and home priorities clashed a lot this year. One work peak coincided completely with my summer vacation, leaving me struggling at both ends. And the upswing of my workload and marathon travel trips that began in summer, only slowed down towards the end of the year – leaving me totally breathless – literally. So much so that in complete panic one day, I called my doctor in India from an airport, worried that these bouts of breathlessness were a cause for serious concern. Thankfully they were not!
Family, Woven with Intention
If my work defines me, my family is the bedrock I stand on. Which doesn’t just include my immediate family but my extended family as well. It takes intention and effort to weave and sustain a strong bond even with siblings once we are adults and forge our own paths, build our own families. And I am deeply grateful that my sister and I have been able to do that over the last twenty years. Along with our spouses, we have intentionally made time to get together every year, spend quality time, holiday together and be there for each other. Come what may.
One thing I missed over the years was not having Kapil’s extended family near by, but that wish was granted this year. His brother moved back from the US – and 2025 was the year where all three families got to spend time together – not once but multiple times. That perhaps was the biggest highlight of my year. (and of course one big source of exhaustion :-D) And just like that we are weaving a strong, slightly chaotic mega extended family. (Imagine 14 people living under the same roof – at the same time!) Watching our little ones bond has been a quiet joy.
Everyone got together in Istanbul pre summer where we had a great time and then once again on Diwali at our house in Noida. Diwali was especially meaningful this year—we celebrated it in our new house and after many years in India. The icing on the cake was my mum’s 75th birthday celebration, where friends and loved ones gathered to celebrate her life.
The Triple A: Growing, Learning, and Dreaming
Arnav: Taking the Reins of His Own Journey
My triple A are also at important points in their lives. Arnav is now in grade 11 and at a crucial stage when he needs to begin preparing for adult life. An age where he needs to take the reins of his own journey – start making decisions for himself, defining and working towards his goals and learning to hold himself accountable.
It is a tough phase when their childhood still calls out to them even as adulthood, with all its perceived freedoms and responsibilities, waits just ahead. I am glad that he has come back to live with us for the last two years of his school life and that we are here to support him through this transition.
Abeer: Dancing Through Life and Finding His Spotlight
The twins are nine and while Abeer is still very much a child, there are clear signs of maturity in the way he thinks, questions, and makes sense of the world around him. His is a creative and passionate soul – that needs constant encouragement and nourishment. He is clear about what he wants from life and has shown signs of working hard towards what he wants. One of his many talents and obsessions is dancing and it was amazing how he persevered and taught himself Michael Jackson dance moves. His moment of thrill came when he performed on ‘Billie Jean’ at his school’s talent show and was quickly recognized by his friends and ‘fans’ as Abeer Jackson! Clearly fame and popularity are his natural companions and he thrives in the spotlight.
And as his parents, we have the dual responsibility of helping him work towards his dreams and also keep him rooted. To teach him to celebrate the applause without being defined by it, and to remember that voices from the outside should never drown out his own. And if the stage is where his heart truly belongs, and stardom is what he dreams of, we will do everything we can to support him in chasing that dream with confidence, balance, and joy.
Anvay: Moving Forward, One Step at a Time
Anvay too is at an important phase of life. Different from his siblings, but significant nevertheless. I started the year with a heaviness in my heart, feeling hopeless about Anvay’s progress. He was still creeping on the floor, unable to stand, being fed by others and wearing diapers. I think the gloom set in when Arnav unwittingly spoke about feeling sad for Anvay and what lay ahead for him. The thought that Anvay will remain totally dependent all his life, took root and started weighing me down.
But a sliver of hope early in the year was the straw I could cling to and bring myself out of the darkness. A reminder to look beyond the wheelchair, the drool and the diapers. I remember switching on my phone after a flight and seeing multiple messages from friends and relatives asking me if I had seen this new release called ‘Lucca’s World’ on Netflix. The film tells the real-life story of a child who received a seemingly miraculous treatment for a condition very similar to Anvay’s—and, astonishingly, that treatment was in India.
We watched the film, searched frantically, and eventually found the people behind it. The treatment does exist, though it is still unproven scientifically. Nevertheless, we have visited them and are exploring the possibility of treatment in the near future. Whether or not we eventually pursue it—or whether it will be successful if we do – I don’t know at this point. But what it did, more than anything else, was allow me to hope for the possibility of a better future for Anvay – where he can walk, talk and communicate.
Around the same time, I also began to realise that despite Anvay’s slow physical progress, his cognitive development has been steadily moving forward. After having found suitable therapies for him in Istanbul, I shifted my focus to his education—because all signs told us that he was ready.
We found someone who assessed him and agreed that he is ready to be ‘taught’. So now we have an IEP (Individualised Education Plan) for him and I am in the process of finding him the right educators and we hope to start his education this year.
Side by Side: Love, Growth, and Shared Strength
And then, beyond the children and their milestones, there was us. We have known each other since childhood, but 2025 also marked our 20th wedding anniversary. We have grown together, built a strong bond and have much to be proud of.
Individually we both had a significant year. Kapil faced some of his worst challenges and then overcame them, sailing through to the end of the year. I had a busy and meaningful year, learnt a lot and made new friends. Took a lot of actions intentionally and carried through with most promises I made to myself. However, I also questioned myself a lot and often doubted myself – but just like Max in Stranger Things, I know I need to remember my own worth and break out of Vecna’s hold a.k.a self doubts. (Have been obsessed with Stranger Things and having just finished the finale today – could not resist the reference!)
New Year, New Possibilities: Hopes for 2026
We closed 2025 with our hearts full, jotting down hopes, dreams, and intentions for 2026. As the clock neared midnight on the 31st, we sat together to write our plans, goals, wishes and aspirations for 2026 and in that moment, the year ahead felt full of possibilities. It reminded me that life is both fragile and beautiful, and that family, love, and persistence are what make every challenge worthwhile. I wish the same for you—may the new year bring growth, joy, and the simple wonders that make life meaningful.
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Regards, Sakshi aka tripleamommy
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