NEW PLACES // Her birthday, this time FOUR, is a beautiful time of celebration for how far she’s come. I could write a million things about her stepping out of the warm comfort of our close family, now shining her light for others to see. Or how she’s even more hilarious and still always up for a laugh. But today, as I celebrate her, I can’t help but think about my journey alongside her too.
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Her birth was one of my greatest transformations. It helped to heal my first birth and brought me to a new place of power that I hadn’t known was possible.
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But that first year my health quickly declined, and by her first birthday I found myself in the darkest place of my life. l was too sick to function. I can hardly even remember it now. I do remember it was a small celebration because we were lucky a party happened at all. I remember my mom and friends stepped in to handle it all. And I remember feeling grateful to them for being what I couldn’t.
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In some ways her first birthday was a healing place too though, a turning point. (Dark places seem to be that.) That was when I saw the first doctor who understood Lyme and that was the beginning of the healing.
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This year feels miles away from all of that. We moved far away from where she was born and we have fairly well settled into our home in Los Angeles. Several doctors and practitioners later (and so much good hard work) I’ve climbed out of chronic illness and have even led many others out as well.
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I’m now in an exciting place, living in a way that is so comfortable, big, relaxed, ME.
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Today, at her fourth birthday – just past the holidays, dog surgery, older sister illness, in the beautiful deep waters of a current Collective, preparing for welcoming in a new one, and finally putting the final touches on my forthcoming website – this place feels just right. And so for this year, my intention is to finally own this space – making my home a sanctuary. To settle in here!
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This dress up corner is the beautiful beginning for the girl who was the beginning of it all. For the dress up lover herself, she now has a place – a spot to hang, admire, and imagine.
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To settling in to big things this year, baby girl!
