I am not even going to sugarcoat it—2025 has been a lot.
Our family moved across states. Our daughter’s high school graduation. Her first semester of college. New rhythms. New zip codes. New emotions. This year stretched me, blessed me, and reminded me that middle age is not coming, it is here! And with it comes a deep knowing: there are fewer days ahead than behind, and every one of them matters.
And while all that change was unfolding at home, I was also running a business.
Let’s be honest, keeping a small business alive is one thing. Keeping it alive with purpose while navigating life’s biggest personal transitions that takes Grit. Grace. And God for me.
There were days this year when I was not sure how to manage both: being present for my family and being consistent for my clients. But somehow, I did. Not through my strength alone but by God’s steady hand. He sustained me through the late nights, the tough decisions, and the moments when doubt crept in.
This December, I’m not rushing to wrap up the year with resolutions or to-do lists. I just want to sit in gratitude. I want to pause long enough to say, “Thank you, Lord, for carrying me through it all.”
Because that’s what it’s been—a year of being carried. When the days felt long, when the transitions felt overwhelming, when the emotions bubbled up at unexpected times, God never left my side. His grace met me at every bend in the road. His faithfulness showed up in the quiet moments. And His promises reminded me: this season, too, has purpose.
I have watched my daughter step boldly into a new chapter, and I have felt both the ache and the awe of it. I have packed up a home full of memories and built a new one in a new place—with prayer and intention. I have kept Jarvis Consultants moving forward—even in the background at times—because the vision behind it still matters. And I have never felt more grateful.
I am ending this year with a quiet kind of gratitude. Not loud or flashy, but Deep. Settled. Rooted. I am reminded that even in life’s biggest transitions, God’s provision and calling do not pause—they pivot. They stretch. They evolve. Just like we do.
If you are reading this and 2025 stretched you too—emotionally, spiritually, or professionally—just know this: it is okay to exhale. It is okay to reflect on what changed you. It is okay to release what you do not want to carry into the new year.
December is not just a month to close out a calendar. It is a sacred space to count it all joy especially the hard stuff, the holy moments, and everything in between.
So here’s to 2025—the year that reminded me how strong, stretched, and deeply blessed I really am.
Sonya Ruff Jarvis is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants, LLC, bringing 30+ years of expertise in strategic development, marketing, event management, executive coaching, and board advisement for Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits. She is recognized for creating innovative business solutions, including a customer engagement program adopted globally to enhance attendance, exhibitor satisfaction, and loyalty at tradeshows. A four-time author, her works include Mindful Minutes: A Marketer's Journey Through Business. She holds an MBA from New York Institute of Technology and a BA from Hiram College, with international studies in Rome. Sonya resides in North Carolina with her husband and daughter.
WAYS TO WORK WITH JARVIS CONSULTANTS!
Strategies: We help small to mid-size companies develop business, marketing, and event management strategies.
Business Coaching: We coach Founders of small to medium size businesses who want to take their organization to the next level.
Project Management: We support companies that don’t have the personnel resources internally; we help them create projects from the development stages to implementation; and, a tactical management process.
New Business Development: We help clients research and explore new business opportunities and/or emerging trends that can be optimized and generate incremental revenue including content.
Contact sonya@jarvisconsultants.com