A Year of Reckoning, Renewal, and Rising Forward

This past year has been one of the most transformative seasons of my life - one marked by deep change, layers of grief, unexpected reckonings, and quiet but steady rebuilding.

It’s astonishing how much can shift in twelve months. And how much a heart can hold at once.

I moved from the home I cherished for over twenty years, my safe place, the backdrop of so many memories, to return to my childhood neighborhood, which has been a mixed blessing. I let go of the properties that Jon and I once dreamed of rebuilding together. I merged my independent real estate brokerage with a national one, and began shaping a stronger, more sustainable business model as we plan for 2026 and beyond. And all of that was happening alongside several health challenges, the demands of working full-time, studying for life coach certification, and writing another book.

But perhaps the biggest shift of all has been internal.

Because everything this year has been layered under the continued blanket of grief.

I’ve spent these months trying to put my life back together after Jon’s sudden passing. Yes, over three years later, I still find myself trying to put the pieces back together. I've been walking through a maze of unraveling, questioning who I was without him, and looking honestly at the pieces still in my hands. Grief has a way of asking big questions: Who am I now? What matters? Where am I going? What do I want to build from here?

There were days I barely recognized myself. Days when even small steps felt like mountains. Days when the only honest response was to sit still, breathe, and let the ache speak. And yet… something within me kept whispering forward.

Through every change, every move, every new chapter, every uncertain step, I felt the quiet pull of renewal. A reminder that change, as uncomfortable as it often is, is nearly always necessary for growth. Transformation rarely happens in places of certainty or ease. It happens in the unraveling, in the questions, in the hard decisions we don’t want to make but somehow know we must. Looking back, I can see the pattern: a year of letting go, shifting, reshaping, choosing again, and trusting that the unfamiliar path is still a path.

And now? I feel a new chapter unfolding. One filled with anticipation, inspiration, and a steady sense of purpose.

My real estate work continues. It's stronger, more focused, and aligned with the vision of building a true family legacy and thriving business model for 2026 and beyond. I’m committed to growing, serving, and expanding in meaningful ways. This part of my life is not closing; it’s evolving.

At the same time, the life coach certification journey has opened a door I didn’t expect: a desire to help others navigate their own seasons of transition, purpose, and awakening. The work has reshaped me from the inside out, giving me tools for clarity, creation, and deep personal renewal.

And all of this—the grief, the change, the letting go, the rebuilding—has led me to a powerful truth:

Renewal isn’t something that happens to us. It’s something we choose. One decision at a time. One breath at a time. One brave step forward at a time.

As I step into this next season, I am holding equal parts gratitude and anticipation. A readiness to keep growing. A willingness to keep changing. A belief that my story, and yours, does not end in the places that broke us.

Something new is unfolding. And I’m walking toward it with an open heart, willing mind, and a hopeful and expecting spirit.