Blooming Into Chapter 44
Birthday Edition
ORCHID REFLECTIONS
8/12/20262 min read
This birthday feels different. Not simply because another year has passed, but because I'm beginning this chapter with a deeper understanding of who I am. I have an even greater appreciation for who I am still becoming.
So much of my life has been intertwined with the roles I cherish: wife, mother, professional, daughter, sister, friend. Although I am proud of the woman in those roles, I also learned how easy it can be to become so devoted to everyone and everything you love that your own dreams quietly move to the bottom of the list.
This season, I'm bringing them back to the top, baby. At 44, I'm not searching for an entirely new version of myself but I am making room for more of Me: more creativity, more curiosity, more softness, more courage. More moments that exist simply because they bring me joy.
I am learning that becoming does not always require a dramatic reinvention. Sometimes becoming looks like protecting your peace. Sometimes it is saying no without guilt and yes without fear. Sometimes it is booking the trip, wearing the dress, opening the champagne, starting the project, taking the picture, resting without earning it, or finally giving yourself permission to pursue the thing that has been whispering to you for years.
Sometimes it is simply recognizing that the woman who has spent years nurturing everyone else deserves that same tenderness from you.
I don't know everything this next chapter will hold but I know how I want to enter it: with intention, presence, courage, discernment, gratitude, and much more willing to follow where my own desires lead.
There is still so much life to live, beauty to experience, places to go, and memories to create...so many layers of myself I have yet to meet.
So here's to Chapter 44. I don't have it all figured out but I am walking into this chapter knowing and trusting myself more, understanding that there is no age limit on dreaming, evolving, or blooming. I'm finally making room for Me and I have a feeling this may be my most beautiful season yet.
Closing with some thoughts to my 44 year old self:
To the woman I am becoming:
I hope you continue to choose what feeds your soul over what merely looks impressive. I hope you prioritize creating beautiful memories rather than waiting for special occasions to do so. I hope you remain ambitious without sacrificing your softness. I hope you never confuse gratitude for what you have with believing you cannot desire more. Most importantly, I hope you continue making space for yourself because your dreams belong in the life you have worked so hard to build, too.
Until the next bloom!