Celebrating Growth & Looking Forward

This month’s theme "Celebrating Growth & Looking Forward" feels especially close to my heart, because I believe growth isn’t just something we strive for - it’s something we live through. And the longer I’m on this journey, the more I’m convinced that our experiences shape us more than we realize. Even the people who walk beside us for only a short stretch are part of that shaping.

They are not accidents.

They are not coincidences.

They are part of the unfolding.

The real magic happens when we’re willing to look back, like really look - and extract the lessons tucked inside the moments that once felt confusing, heavy, or unfair. When we reach the place where we can say, “Life is happening for me, not to me,” everything begins to align.

Patterns reveal themselves.

Threads connect.

The timeline starts to make sense.

Creating my own timeline was pivotal. It allowed me to step outside the emotion and

see the architecture of my life more clearly - how one moment prepared me for the next, how every loss carved space for something better, how every detour eventually circled back to purpose. That clarity is one of the most beautiful gifts of aging! Understanding deepens.

Compassion expands.

Connection - both with ourselves and others, feels more real.

Reflection is the first step. The second is gentle cleanup - deciding what belongs in

your story and what no longer gets to weigh you down. And then, if you can, hand those pieces to someone you trust. Let them take what you’ve carried. There is something incredibly healing about being witnessed in that way!

When we do this work, we open ourselves.

New understanding rushes in.

Acceptance grows - of who we are, who we’ve been, and who we are becoming.

And little by little, confidence builds.

Empowerment returns.

And we find ourselves ready for whatever might come next.

Here’s to celebrating how far we’ve come… and preparing our hearts for what’s ahead.