Slices of Life Wishes for 2026 - part two

Slices of Life

Wishes for 2026 - part two

By Jill Pertler

Last week I started a list of my wishes for 2026. To summarize in the most succinct way possible, I wish you the best.

I wish you the best love. The best love of nature. The best love of animals. The best love of people. The best love with an individual in the intimate sense. Love is so beautiful and overriding. I hope it figures largely in your life. Whatever shape it takes, I wish you multiple sources of love that enhance your existence on a daily basis.

I wish you the best rest. Oh, how we forget this important and consequential component of life. We need to rest every day, yet we often ignore this basic need. I wish you rest from the day’s struggles. I wish you rest from life’s struggles. I wish you rest from the struggles portrayed on the never-ending news feeds. I wish you rest from whatever thwarts your own life.

I wish you the best authenticity. Being real sounds so easy, but can it be so hard. I wish you courage to simply be yourself, despite the repercussions. Fearing judgment from others is our default because we all want to be accepted and liked. Sometimes that causes us to hide our true selves or our true beliefs. Our true authenticity. Breathe deep and know being your true self is okay. You are you - unapologetically. Never let anyone change that – most importantly, and including yourself.

I wish you the best in growth. The older I get, I realize growth never ends. That truth is beyond awesome. Growth can take many forms: growth in mind, in body, in ideas, in ideals. To stop growing is to stop living. Never, ever stop growing.

I wish you the best in clarity. Life comes at us from many angles and they all seem important. Being able to see what is truly worthy of your attention requires clarity, and that isn’t always easy. Clarity comes with time, growth and perseverance over the tough times. Clarity has a way of simplifying the seemingly complex, and simple is good.

I wish you the best in gratitude. Thankfulness does so much more for your life than any other thought habit. I think, sometimes, negative thoughts are our default. Gratitude is the complete opposite of negative thoughts. I wish you the opposite of negativity in the coming year. I wish you the best in gratitude.

I wish you the best alignment. Aligning with the universe is more simple – and complex – than it might seem. When we are aligned with life – with the world at large – the walk is easier, effortless even. The talk flows freely. Everything takes on a new light, a new aura, that isn’t visible when things are misaligned. I think of Goldilocks when I think of alignment, because it makes everything seem just right.

I wish you the best wisdom – not the wisdom that comes from reading books, but the kind the comes from listening to your soul, your heart –  and listening to the souls of others who are also on this journey with you. I wish you wisdom that surpasses generations and time. I wish you wisdom that is real and lasting, not only for today, but for tomorrow and forever after that.

Finally, I wish you the best light – in more ways than one. I wish you a lightness that comes from walking without burdens. Without stones strapped to your back. I also wish you a radiant light that comes from a brightness already within you. May this light shine outwards to reflect onto others and magnify their own light.

As 2026 begins, I wish you the best. The very best. Happy 2026, everyone. All the best, every day. All the best, every minute.

(Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright, author and member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.)