Grateful for 48, Ready for 49
LIFE.
Birthdays always make me a little reflective.
Not in a dramatic way… just in a “wow, that year went fast and also taught me some stuff” kind of way.
As this next birthday gets closer, I’ve been thinking about what this last year — 48 — actually looked like. Not just the big moments, but the small ones too. The reminders, the lessons, the people, the shifts.
And here’s what I keep coming back to.
I don’t have life figured out.
Not even close.
But I am learning. (Slowly, sometimes stubbornly and with tears… but learning.)
Life can be both beautiful and bizarre.
Challenging and complementing.
Steady one minute, sideways the next —
Like you thought you were on solid ground and suddenly you’re doing the emotional version of slipping on ice…. Metaphorically and sometimes physically 😅
Some lessons I thought I already had down…
Apparently I needed the refresher version, because life really said, “Let’s circle back to this.”
Life can be messy and meaningful,
hard and still really good.
Full of moments that test you,
and people that remind you why it’s worth it.
And sometimes both of those things happen in the same week… just to keep you humble.
It doesn’t always go how we planned — sometimes worse, sometimes better.
And sometimes it feels like the plan just got tossed out entirely and replaced with “let’s see what happens.” 😅
But honestly?
It’s those “worse” moments that we don’t just GET through… we actually GROW through them.
Not always pretty. Not always quickly. Sometimes sighing a little along the way. But we do.
This last year — 48 — brought all of the above.
Lots of laughs. Lots of love. New experiences, new friendships, new road trips, a new relationship, a few unexpected turns, and plenty of reminders that life keeps moving whether we feel ready or not. (PSA: We rarely feel ready.)
If there’s one thing this year really showed me, it’s how important it is to be present.
Doing more of what fills my cup. Putting the screens away. Setting the phone down.
Which sounds simple… until you catch yourself reaching for it out of habit for the 17th time that day.
Enjoying the moment you’re actually in.
The deeper conversations.
The time with people you care about.
The stuff that might seem small but actually ends up meaning a lot.
This year also reminded me how much life is about balance.
Not perfect balance — just figuring it out as you go and adjusting when you need to.
Balancing growth with rest.
Plans with flexibility.
Showing up for others while still making space for yourself.
And when it gets off balance (because it will) …
that doesn’t mean you failed.
It just means you’re human.
And maybe slightly overdue for a reset.
I think I’m learning it’s okay to pause.
Okay to reset.
Okay if your focus shifts or your priorities change.
It’s okay to start again. As many times as you need to.
(And there’s no limit, no punch card or membership required for that 😉)
The important part isn’t getting it perfect.
It’s that you keep showing up.
That you let yourself actually live your life instead of just trying to manage it and get it all done. (And that also means allowing yourself to have that scoop of ice cream🍦)
Because what I’m realizing is…
we don’t lose sight of our goals or dreams by slowing down.
If anything, sometimes life meets us there.
Turns out rushing everything isn’t actually the secret…
I’m wrapping up 48 feeling really grateful, really grounded, and honestly… really good.
And heading into 49 feeling hopeful, open, and ready for whatever comes next.
Here’s to 49 —
learning, living, loving, laughing…
and maybe just feeling a little more fine with it all.
And if that log you’re balancing on gets a little wobbly and you fall in?
Maybe that’s just life’s reminder to laugh, pull yourself back up,
and try again when you feel ready.
Grateful. Grounded. Ready.
Much love,
