OKLAHOMA CITY—The Oklahoma City National Memorial stands on the site of a tragic event 30 years ago, and Logan Shelby felt it was the right place to be.
“Coming out here makes you just want to sit down for a minute,” he said, gazing at the Reflecting Pool and the field of 168 empty bronze chairs, each one commemorating a victim of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
On Dec. 20—five days before Christmas—Shelby drove 182 miles from his home in Fort Smith, Arkansas, to visit the memorial and mark the end of the year in quiet contemplation.
To the left, a shattered fragment of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building stands as a monument to the worst act of homegrown terrorism in U.S. history.
Above and beyond him, the Survivor Tree rises, a powerful symbol of healing and resilience.
Shelby said that it is difficult not to be profoundly impacted by the emotions and stark realities presented through the video displays, artifacts, and moving testimonies in the memorial museum, to hear echoes across the nation three decades later.
Yet he felt a compelling need to connect with this history and honor those memories, while remaining hopeful for the future.
“I wasn’t really planning on doing much for Christmas,” Shelby told The Epoch Times. “I figured I just didn’t want to sit at home. I’d come down here for the day and drive back home at night.”
Shelby reflected on his year with gratitude, recognizing that his challenges were minor compared to those of many others. Still, he hopes for a better economy. He prays for a more unified and peaceful world and nation, as well as prosperity for all.
“It’s been a good year. You see how bad it can be. You hope it won’t get any worse. You’ve got to live day to day,” Shelby said.
“Hopefully, we’re not going backwards—sometimes, it feels like we are. It’s kind of hard to understand chaos.”
Empty bronze chairs decorated in holiday ribbons and wreaths represent each of the 168 people who died during the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, Okla., on April 19, 2025. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)Sitting on a concrete wall next to the Reflecting Pool, KJ Fernandez, 45, and his 15-year-old son, Tyler, had just completed their tour of the memorial site.
Fernandez remembers the moment he learned about the bombing of the federal building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, when he was just a teenager.
The shock that swept through the community was immense, he said, but he firmly believes the tragedy ignited an undeniable resilience among the people.
Oklahoma City united in the face of adversity, Fernandez said, transforming the pain into a powerful catalyst for growth and renewal.
Today, the city stands as a testament to the strength of its residents, who have not only rebuilt lives but also restored hope and reinforced their sense of community, he said.
“This is a huge part of what makes Oklahoma great,” Fernandez told The Epoch Times. “It’s a lot about what that means and how the community pulled together.”
Fernandez expressed his gratitude for a calm and prosperous 2025, acknowledging that his family has been truly blessed.
However, he also recognized the challenges that many people encounter as the new year begins. Will the economy improve? Will there be war in Venezuela and peace in the Middle East?
“We’re still going to have our challenges,” Fernandez said. “As a country, we’ve been there before. But I think we’re going in the right direction.”
Ninety miles east of Oklahoma City, Dawne McWhorter is busy serving breakfast at the Classic Diner in the town of Henryetta, Oklahoma.
As she looks ahead to 2026, she sees it as a time to embrace change and acknowledge uncertainty. She hopes for an end to global conflicts and wishes for improvements in the economy.
“Everybody has good and bad times,” McWhorter told The Epoch Times. “I’m very optimistic about 2026 because I want world peace. Of course, who doesn’t?”
She shares the same hopes as many others: a desire for better times, more manageable living costs, and a brighter sense of optimism and happiness.
It’s a wish that resonates with so many people facing similar challenges, she said.
“I think we have to come together more as a people and a team, instead of being so divided,” McWhorter said.
“I would like to see things get more back to the basics. Kids get off of their laptops, get off of their games, get outside, and enjoy life … don’t use cell phones.”
About 106 miles northeast of Henryetta, Logan Crouch, Jessica Patrick, from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and their 3-year-old daughter Lillian, found themselves at “The Center of the Universe” in downtown Tulsa on Dec. 21.
This unusual landmark features an 8-foot-diameter concrete circle on a pedestrian bridge. If you stand right in the center and make a noise, the echo comes back to you loud and clear.
Crouch feels cautiously optimistic about the upcoming year, considering the political and economic situation.
“Cautiously optimistic—that’s the best way to view it,” he said. “You’ve got to plan for the worst and hope for the best.”
At Ody’s bar in Ponca City, Oklahoma, 92 miles northwest of Tulsa, bartender Tristen Hutsen said it’s been a year of hard work—and more hard work.
“I work two jobs. This is my second job today. All I do is work. I don’t know what else I’d be doing,” she said.
She hopes that 2026 bring less work and more fun.
“Another thing people are talking about is they’re hoping it’s a more peaceful year,” Hutsen told The Epoch Times.
At the end of the bar sat James Simmons, 55, from Southern California, who was visiting family for the holidays.
He said that the year 2025 hasn’t been particularly challenging, which is a good thing.
“My job’s the same. I have a home here, I work in California, so I come back a couple of times a month. My financial position hasn’t changed, really,” Simmons told The Epoch Times.
“You can see that things have gotten more expensive, of course, like groceries, taxes, and mortgage rates.”
“Other than increased costs, I haven’t felt a big impact,” he said.
Simmons said his civil servant friends were nervous during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which lasted 43 days.
Fortunately, they escaped furlough, but they might have been sent home if the shutdown had continued longer.
It’s not easy to be content or trustful with the government, he said.
“I haven’t been happy with the way the country’s been going in a long time,” Simmons remarked. “I mean, it always seems that each time we have an election, it’s the lesser of two evils. It’s still bad.”
That he still enjoys good health is half the battle, as Simmons looks ahead to 2026 feeling hopeful.
“I don’t know if I’m optimistic. I’m just hopeful,” he said.
