Opinion

When the final whistle blew and the scoreboard read a 10-7 loss for the Denver Broncos against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game, the silence in the room felt heavier than the snowfall outside Empower Field at Mile High. This was not how anyone drew the end of this season. This was not how a year of growth, resilience and unexpected hope was supposed to conclude.

Dear Editor, As we enter 2026, I want to speak directly to police officers, supervisors and leaders, not from a position of theory but from lived experience. Law enforcement is a profession built on service, sacrifice and resilience.

Some victories are merely recorded in history, while others resonate on a deeper level, feeling like pivotal moments even before celebrations end. The Denver Broncos’ overtime win against the Buffalo Bills was meant to be one of those profound victories – a statement of strength. It signified after years of uncertainty, this franchise had rediscovered its true identity. Instead, it became complicated almost immediately. The celebration barely had time to breathe before the news broke Bo Nix would miss the rest of the postseason with an injury. Just like that, the conversation shifted. The win was still real, the score still final, the ticket to the championship game still punched, but the tone changed. Hope turned into hedging and excitement gave way to disclaimers.

Dear Editor, More than 300,000 Missourians have spoken clearly: we want fair maps, not political power grabs paid for with our tax dollars. That’s nearly three times the number of signatures required by law to place a redistricting referendum on the ballot. Volunteers with the People Not Politicians Coalition, made up of everyday Missourians like me, gathered those signatures to demand an end to partisan gerrymandering and to suspend Republicandrawn maps ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

National Bubble Bath Day went unnoticed earlier this month, but its low-key celebration aligns well with the theme. A holiday centered on warm water and foam isn’t about spectacle; it’s about taking a moment to slow down, which often gets overlooked amidst winter routines and relentless activity.

There are certain truths National Football League (NFL) fans grow comfortable with over time. One of them, at least in the Midwest, was the Kansas City Chiefs belonged in Missouri. Arrowhead Stadium stood as a physical symbol of that belief, rooted in decades of history and reinforced by a fan base that treated the location as sacred. Whether the team was winning championships or grinding through leaner years, the idea that the Chiefs were immovable felt settled.

There are times when life feels slightly off-center. Nothing dramatic has happened and there is no single problem demanding attention, yet everything feels heavier than it should. Responsibilities press closer together, thoughts move faster than usual and confidence quiets down without clearly leaving. In those moments, perception often shifts before it is fully noticed.

Some people truly enjoy cold weather and they are entitled to their opinion. However, for many others, myself included, the ongoing cold spell in Missouri feels less like a natural seasonal change and more like a disruption to everyday life.

Some people move through Christmas with an ease that feels almost unreal. The season starts and they seem to fall into it without hesitation, as if the decorating and planning and celebrating come with instructions the rest of us never received. From a distance, it all looks effortless. Up close, most families know that this time of year rarely moves that smoothly.

Some weeks move in a blur of responsibilities, long days and quiet pressure. You handle the things that must be done and keep going because that is what life expects from most of us. Work does not slow down when you need it to. Families do not pause their needs. The world keeps its rhythm whether you feel ready or not and staying steady becomes its own kind of effort.