B I N G O

Additional Reflections

Julia

Most of what’s on my bingo card centered around three milestones of my year: graduating high school, being a staff member at Camp Kalsman, and starting college! I graduated from Gibson Ek in June, and was selected by my peers to be the student speaker at our graduation ceremony. My senior year was a blur of senioritis, college applications, and a spectacular internship at the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center. My summer was spent at Camp Kalsman (as it always is) for my first year as a staff member! It was an amazing experience; I loved my campers, and I learned so much about being an effective leader and team member in what is often a stressful job. I also learned how to wake up from naps really quickly. I can’t wait for next summer! As for college, after 3 visits over the course of the year, in May I made the decision to attend Willamette University– and so far, I have been very happy with that choice! It has definitely been a big transition, but things have generally been going smoothly: I’ve met neat people, I live in a great hall (and a great room), and I loved my fall semester classes. I focused a lot on settling in and getting my footing this semester, and I’m excited to keep learning, branching out, and building community in 2026! 

Abby

I am in my final year of undergrad in a town that I have grown in, and grown comfortable in. My priority for this year’s bingo card was to push myself to pursue effortful and rewarding endeavors, ranging from fun to responsible. I found creativity and wonder in nature, music, and dance. With the foundation of known-ness in Bellingham, I expanded upon the sources of liveliness in my year (and occasionally did adult tasks). Looking ahead, I’ve begun planning for graduation, a year in Spain, and Speech Language Pathology graduate school after that. I know that the comfortable known is fading and uncharted territory approaches. Next year’s bingo card is full of new beginnings, adapting, and being comfortable in the uncomfortable. I plan to soak up my final months in Bellingham and gear up for unmapped excitement. 

David

2025 was an unusual year for me.  Starting off with my dad’s cancer diagnosis, remotely joining many of his doctors appointments, and then his passing on November 29th (see separate reflection). Work has been engaging, with my team growing, and my client giving us more work.  I made great progress with physical therapy for my shoulder early in the year, and between that and some valuable golf lessons (and a lot of practice), my golf game saw nice improvement this year. I am also heavily involved in our synagogue as President now.  At home things are quieter than we are used to, but Michelle and I are enjoying each other’s company and our kids are thriving.  I did achieve BINGO on my card this year, and it helped me focus on exercise, family, PT, golf, friends, live theater, and many home projects- large and small.  Here’s to 2026!

Michelle

2025 has included both change and stability for me. I decided not to return to the Jewish Day School after five years on staff, and have felt good about that transition. David and I now have the house to ourselves. Though I miss the girls’ presence, I am enjoying the ways that parenting shifts as Abby and Julia  take these next steps in life, and I enjoy the new routines David and I are creating. After years of knee challenges, including spending the summer on crutches with a torn meniscus, I decided to have knee replacement surgery on my right knee. I have been very fortunate to have a very smooth recovery. In addition to that, I’ve taken awesome classes on How Narrative Shapes Growth, Health, and Resilience, and on Cultivating the Compassionate Heart. Very encouraging to be part of a class full of people focusing on compassion.  I’m exploring ideas about where to place my time and energy- and am excited to see how things unfold in the next few months. The 2025 bingo card has provided me focus throughout the year- some goals I stretched to achieve because they were on my card- others were ideas that spoke to me at the beginning of January that didn’t speak to me as the year progressed. I’m looking forward to building next year’s card soon!