live your life girl

Hello…. it’s me! I’m back from living my snake year life girl, that almost broke me, well in some ways, it did break me. Over the last year I have had so many peaks and valleys and when I say valley I am not being dramatic that it was the lowest I have ever felt emotionally. I have been through struggles before, like all my twenties, and 2025 was not the lowest. It did take me the longest to recover from, and in some ways, I’m still holding on to the pain.

For most of the year I was waiting for something that was out of my control and for me and probably 80% of you, that was like torture. I questioned what I had envisioned for my life and if moving to Florida was really the right decision, thinking that maybe this was why I had to face this struggle again. I struggled to find inspiration to continue Live Your Life Girl, even though I was literally living my life girl. I regretted not being in my Westerville condo. It was my safe place from the world and all my worries for years. I loved my new home here, but it didn’t feel the same. I didn’t feel secure in any part of my life, though. Even if the sun that filled my new home was the same sun that filled my Ohio home I felt like it didn’t belong to me. I felt regret for not having my closest friends and family to lean on, even though I had my parents and new friends, it wasn’t Winterberry. I didn’t think I could build friendships like I had left behind in Ohio.  I felt burdensome on my new friends for venting about my struggles, but to my surprise they never wavered. I was supported by them every step of the way even when I sent them a picture of a full glass of red wine from my bed of white linens to prove how “over it” I really was. I love to live my life girl on the edge sometimes! They checked in, sympathized, got angry with me and gave me support in ways I didn’t know I needed, without ever saying “you should” or “why don’t you”, they were just there as genuine friends. Those new friends helped me put back my broken pieces into a beautiful mosaic.

This past Sunday was our monthly wine club and I felt truly happy, maybe it was the wine or the spring sunshine on my back or maybe it was because I was surrounded by some incredible women that I am grateful to call my friends. After wine club, we decided to have patio drinks that turned into girl chat and taco bell snacks. I looked on as my friends made themselves at home and knew that it was time to start living my life girl just as I had envisioned it. I needed to be done with the pain and disappointments that were out of my control. I wanted to stop feeling paralyzed by fear of the unknown. I wanted to start celebrating with these women that put me back together, even if they didn’t know that’s what they had done.

March is almost over and since it is “Women’s History Month”  it is only right to dedicate this post to the gang of misfits that have become my circle of friends. We are all so different and come from all different places, pasts, ages, and occupations. I often wonder what our common thread is …. besides wine.  I have worked very hard to be fully myself with everyone I meet, and I do feel this group of friends allows me the space to be just that. I hope they feel I allow the same space for them. I want them to live their life girl exactly who they are and know that I am grateful for every sip of bubbles we share, every inside joke we laugh at, every cat baby picture we gush over, questions that have to be asked because curiosity is everything, and every deep emotion we share that sneaks over our guarded walls when we are together…I love you ladies!