Circle Time // 1.1.26

All the food I made for my family, the flu bonanza, the artist in Gracie Mansion, the gay hockey love story dominating the internet, and the best essay I've read on the baby decision.

2026, welcome! I think I speak for everyone who had a wringer of a 2025 when I say, please be gentle with us all.

This week is the well-known week of sweatpants, not knowing what day of the week it is, and restorative downtime— it’s always one of my favorites of the year, but especially needed after this year. This year, it’s been filled with snow, puzzles, baked goods, good TV, reading at night, Benny in sweaters, family time both in person and on the phone for our long-distance family, and some desperately needed downtime off social media for me. I’m still in autistic burnout galore, but making my way back and this issue was so fun to put together!

This week’s Circle Time is absolutely packed for the first issue of the year (a lot of amazing television!), so let’s get to it:

• Was so nice to do a belated holiday with my side of the family, and squeeze my niece and nephew, who I hadn’t gotten to see in far too long. Gatherings with everyone have been tricky because of us having to be pretty risk-averse with illnesses, and with everything Benny has been going through this year, so it was so special to have everyone in our house. Benny hadn’t been able to be around groups without getting overwhelmed with his anxiety and hiding in the last 2 years, especially around kids, so J and I were beyond thrilled that he and his “cousins” were able to interact for the first time in so long.