The original working title of this summary was 20 things that mattered in 2025.
How ambitious that thinking was!
A couple of weeks and far too much daily work have intervened. Which is another way of the universe turning up to remind me of my core beliefs; as both titles suggest, getting to the bottom of what matters.
I’ve been influenced in this more reductionist way of thinking by two very different voices. The first is the work of Buddhist monk and teacher, Thich Nhat Hahn, particularly in the book I write about below.
The other influence was in the December edition of Future You, [ https://sjfallick.substack.com/p/enough ]written by daughter SJ, which she titled Enough. That got me thinking a great deal. What if we framed more of our activities with the idea that what we have, right here, right now, is enough?
So my list of 20 was severely edited to seven – and I hope you agree that the following seven ‘moments’ or ‘insights’ are just enough.
Meanwhile, from my home to yours, here’s wishing you a very happy festive break, a time of celebration or contemplation depending upon your faith, but regardless, may you give and receive kindness and love
Warmest
Kaye
Moment #1 Most meaningful
On a whim in July our younger daughter Lucy and I had a 9-day break in Japan. We visited Hiroshima and this had a profound effect on both of us. We were privileged to spend time with Lucy’s former student, Yukina. At dinner she told us of her grandmother, Emiko, and what happened to her on the day the atomic bomb was dropped on the centre of Hiroshima. We watched Emiko share her memories on video at the Peace Park memorial museum the next day. That night I wrote an article which I submitted to the Australian Society of Travel Writer’s 50th anniversary anthology. I was surprised and delighted to have this article selected for publication in Wild & Inspired. You can read it here on this site.
Moment #2 Most relaxing
A few short weeks later I headed to the Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily with SJ. My friend, Peta, has been spending Australian winters in Lipari for a few years now. This was my first visit and I’m a total convert. SJ and I had agreed we wanted time in a smallish beachside town where we could just breathe. It had to be Italian, of course. Lipari answered the brief. We stayed at the very comfortable Hotel Mea. I took my morning coffee on the terrace, read, wrote and dreamed with the ocean as a backdrop. We had panini at the same café every day and discovered the delights of lime and basil granita. We walked, talked, fell silent and soaked up the sun and stared some more at the jewel blue Mediterranean. Enough indeed.
Moment #3 Most exciting
Non-AFL fans, avert your gaze. For the rest of us, where else would you be, but the ‘G, on a wintry Friday night? Big games are sell-outs, so you and your 90,000 best friends can descend upon the ground and enjoy the buzz. Parents play kick-to-kick with kids on Brunton Avenue, little ones get their faces painted, big ones enjoy a pie and a beer, still others flocking to Hugh Trumble or other cafes to anticipate a good game, a big game, and obviously, a win for your team. Melbourne is very good at hosting sporting events. None better than an AFL game when 90,000 fans let out a collective ‘ooooooh!’ when someone takes a specky. Despite the fierce rivalries, it’s also amazingly convivial with many family groups sporting more than one team’s colours. It’s a privilege to live in this town and get to go so often to the true heart of the city, the ‘G’.
Moment #4 Most stylish
I guess I’m nothing, if not eclectic. One of my other favourite venues in my home town is the National Gallery of Victoria. This year I have visited three exhibitions – Yayoi Kusama, Winter Masterpieces and Martin Grant. They were all fabulous, but the one I am about to revisit – my standout favourite – is the Martin Grant retrospective which I attended in May and is still showing until 26 January 2026. I plan to go early one morning in January so I can once again appreciate this man’s brilliance, slowly. His work predates the launch of my favourite Melbourne retailer, Scanlan and Theodore, but the spare aesthetic is shared. If you are in Melbourne over the holiday break, don’t miss this wonderful celebration of Martin Grant and his amazing garments which exemplify the ‘less is more’ credo.
Moment #5 Most inspiring
The aforementioned Thich Nhat Hanh book How to Focus which I have been reading daily over the past few months. It’s part of a series (How to Love, How to Dream, How to Connect ) which I am giving as tiny bundles of love this Christmas. If you have time, read the story of Nhat Hahn’s life, from early days in Vietnam, through the war years, study in America, exile and the founding of Plum village in France. He’s been an inspiration to millions around the world. He passed away in 2022 in a temple in Hue, but his words live on in more than 40 books. The tiny ‘How to’ series is a wonderful introduction to his wisdom and his work.
Moment #6 Most poignant
When in London in September I visited my favourite UK bookshop, Daunts in Marylebone High Street. There I found Our London Lives by Christine Dwyer Hickey. I had not heard of this Irish author, but the cover got me, so did the blurbs. One says ‘Huge of heart and soaring of soul’… so I bought it. And the blurb totally nails it. This 500-page story of Pip and Millie has a compelling third character – the City of London, as it changes and changes again across the 70s, 80s and into the now. Pip and Millie are both from Ireland and trying to get a foothold in an unforgiving city, albeit a city they both love deeply. Their story is happy, sad and reflective of the need we all have for a place we can call home.
Moment #7 Most beautiful
The arrival on our doorstep of a Claude Monet rose. Who knew there was such a thing? It was an anniversary gift from the kid in London. How thoughtful. It’s been planted in full sun and is thriving. I go out the back door and look at it every day as new buds form, blossom, mature and petals start to drop. It flowers in close proximity to other roses which are gifts as well. Never underestimate the gift of a living thing – or the peace that arrives when smelling roses.
And last, but hopefully not least, some articles I’ve enjoyed writing this year for various publications:
Here’s what good financial advice looks like
Why it’s time to ditch the retirement journey
City of Literature: a booklover’s walk h
How does your super become retirement income?
The five big retirement spends
How to live longer: myths and truths from the first Blue Zone
Smh