Cassie’s 52 Good Things from 2025

Things to feel great about from the year that was—and an extra eight, if anyone needs convincing.

This post began as a riff on Tony’s annual gratitude practice, a habit for building a life where good begets good, but it is ending as more of a start of project. Because now I’m thinking maybe I should go back and do all the other years I have photos for. It would be amazing to have little photo books of all these moments held together for each year, experimenting with format, adding some art or stories or even interviews for some segments. Mark’s sister got him some lovely little black and white photo books of England in the 60s and 70s for his birthday, little zines really, that have inspired this thought.

But first things first, let’s finish 2025. For my set of 52 things for this year, I first tried to organize them around my big rocks—the values I try and live by—but I give up, chronological will have to do! I will list the values though, which you might find themes of throughout even if I’ve failed to prioritize them appropriately. It seems as honest a benchmark as I might create to measure myself by, and perhaps a helpful one to focus my priorities heading into 2026.

Curious, once in a lifetime adventures / Communing with others (family, friends, relationships) /…