Invitation and OLW 2026

I’m writing this in real time. It’s Sunday night and I’ve been mourning the loss of winter break all day. If I’m being honest, I’ve been mentally tracking the nearness of Monday for the last week. This break was exactly what we all needed-A departure from schedules, activities, and largely, the outside world. We were social, but at the end of the day, we returned home and it was just the five of us-and for the first time in a long time, everyone seemed perfectly content with this.

Tonight, at about 6pm, it was so dark and I felt like it should be bedtime. “Let’s all write or draw about our break,” I said to my girls who were all in the kitchen. I held my breath, waiting for someone to balk at the idea. Instead, they surprised me. “Get me a paper,” Wren said first. Before I knew it, everyone was gathered around the kitchen island with paper and pencil in hand. It was quiet, except for Adi…she’s hardly ever quiet, especially if everyone else is quiet. She narrated her entire process as well as everyone elses, but after a week of togetherness, we were all able to mostly tune her out.

My girls…working away.

When I suggested sharing, about twenty minutes later, everyone protested. They needed more time. That’s when I began typing this post…which brought me back to when the girls were younger and I would invite them to sketch and write when I needed to kill time or have a few moments of calm.

A back in the day quiet writing time picture.

This brings me to my One Little Word for 2026. I’ve been thinking about this one for a while. I’m a yes girl. I take on a lot and have trouble saying no. This break, I prioritized saying “yes” to my kids. I’ve often felt that they have had to take the backseat to some of my “yeses.” This year, I want to take on LESS so I have more time to say yes to my family. So my OLW for 2026 is less, as a reminder to this commitment.

Here are the pieces we created tonight as we closed out a great family break.

Wren’s highlight from break.
Adi’s reflection. When everyone was finally ready to share, Adi was begging for additional time and finally got into a quiet groove of working.
Rose’s favorite parts of break.
My spotlight on break…family was at the heart.

Published by Jessica Carey

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I'm a mom of three daughters and a literacy coach in CT. I love to learn and share with others.

10 thoughts on “Invitation and OLW 2026”

  1. Jessica,

    Less is an excellent word for 2026. Love the art and the focus on family time. Beautiful memories is what I see in these pieces. And I think it’s good to remember that when we say “less” or “yes,” we’re also saying the opposite to someone or something else. More tasks equal less family time, e.g.

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  3. You nailed it right there! Important reminder of what matters — people, friends and most importantly, family. Here’s to that one invitation that led to all this.

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  4. There is so much about this Slice that I love….the contemplation, the images you shared, your selection of your OLW for this year. I think “less” is a beautiful selection to find balance and stillness!

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  7. I loved watching the girls work as writers! What a wonderful way to tame the Sunday scaries.

    Saying NO to more things will let you say yes to you… and that matters.

    I remember spending a Sunday afternoon with my fellow 12th graders and our rabbi during my senior year of high school. The theme of the day was learning to say no. Our rabbi wanted us to understand that there’d be so much competing for our attention in college that we had to get really good at saying no. For two hours we discussed this concept, and it’s stuck with me. (I may say NO to too much, but I’m oddly okay with that.)

    I’m confident this year of LESS will give you so much MORE.

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  9. Oh! This is lovely! How I wish my two would write or draw like this. I hear you about doing less elsewhere and spending more time with family. Here’s hoping this year brings you that time together. You’re off to a good start!

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