Let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like surviving a childhood of “What fresh hell is this?” moments to set you up for a lifetime of… gratitude.
Yep, you read that right.
Gratitude.
It’s like being thrown into the deep end of a murky, shark-infested pool, but with floaties made of cosmic humor and purpose.
Trust me—when you’ve done time in the dark, you start to appreciate how much light you actually radiate.
I know, I know—it sounds batshit to say, “Thank you, universe, for baptizing me in fire!” but honestly, the more insane part is how human this whole thing is.
You see, we came into these lives knowing—KNOWING—we were going to get our asses kicked by life’s darker sides because we signed up for it.
We wanted to be lights.
Some of us were so ambitious we dove headfirst into family drama, societal rejection, and emotional chaos like, “Hold my beer.”
And here’s the kicker: when I tell people I’m grateful for that journey, they look at me like I sprouted five extra ears.
Which, let’s be real, if I had five ears, maybe I’d finally hear some sense when I speak. But I digress.
Point is, while most folks are busy running from the shadows, we—those of us who are downright crazy enough to love this adventure—are laughing, crying, and still dancing in the flames.
Because here’s the truth: we didn’t just come to survive. We came to shine.
And not in some dainty, Instagram-filtered, “I’m a goddess” way.
No. I’m talking about gritty, tear-streaked, mascara-smeared, belly-laughing brilliance.
We shine because we’ve been broken open so many times that light has no choice but to pour out of us.
It’s like, “Oh hey, look! More cracks! Guess I’m going supernova today.”
And you know who gets that?
Women. Real, raw, glorious women who’ve been through it.
The soft-hearted warriors who carry their ancestors’ crap in one hand and their dreams in the other, trying to balance it all while still figuring out if anyone’s seen their left sock.
Women like us—who find the humor in our own ridiculous struggles and rise anyway.
So, here’s to the ones who are done pretending that they’ve got it all together.
Here’s to the women who’ve looked their darkness square in the eye, said, “Not today, Darkness,” and then went on to save the world with a smile (and probably a few snacks for the road).
We are the embodiment of resilience, not because we’ve figured it all out, but because we’re brave enough to keep showing up—even when the fire’s still smoldering.
We didn’t come here to be small, invisible, or controlled.
We came to connect, to heal, and to be forces of nature wrapped in humanity.