08/19/2026
42. 🤍
I’ve been thinking a lot about this birthday and everything it took to get here.
This past year brought me back to California after three years in the Philippines, and it also brought me through some of the hardest moments of my life. I spent weeks in the hospital, was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and experienced a brain bleed. There were moments when I honestly didn’t know what the future was going to look like.
I’m incredibly grateful for the people who showed up for me when I needed them most. The friends who opened their homes, checked on me, took care of me, brought me where I needed to go, and reminded me that I wasn’t alone. I may not always have the words to express how much that has meant to me, but I carry that gratitude with me.
I’ve also had to say goodbye to people I love, including Joel and Donato. Losing them has changed me in ways I’m still learning to understand.
And through all of it, I’ve had to be strong for my mom and help care for her as she lives with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Life hasn’t exactly gone the way I imagined it would.
But somehow, I’m still here. 🤍
Still dreaming. Still creating. Still baking. Still laughing. Still hoping. Still believing that there are beautiful chapters ahead of me that I haven’t even lived yet.
At 42, I’m learning that making it through the hard seasons is something worth celebrating too.
So today, I’m choosing gratitude. For the people who stayed. For the people who loved me when I couldn’t quite love myself. For second chances. For the dreams that refuse to die. And for this life, imperfect and complicated and beautiful as it is.
Here’s to 42. 🎂✨
I’m still here. And I’m not done yet. ❤️