Real talk: this year dragged me.
Not in a cute “I’m booked and busy” way, but in a heavy, “how am I supposed to be everything to everyone and still remember to eat?” kind of way.
Being a single parent and running a business at the same time is wild. It’s early mornings, late nights, emails from the car line, invoices between loads of laundry, and planning events while also planning dinner. It’s feeling guilty when I’m at the shop because I miss time with my child, and feeling guilty at home because I’m not getting work done. It’s both. All the time.
This year tested me in ways I did not see coming—personally more than anything. There were days my body showed up before my heart did. Days I felt stretched thin, disappointed, lonely, and low-key exhausted from always having to “figure it out.” But I kept moving. Sometimes slow, sometimes messy, sometimes on autopilot—but moving.
The Hard Stuff Still Grew Me
Even with all that, I can say this with my chest:
I’m grateful for every single thing I went through this year.
Not because it was pretty. A lot of it wasn’t.
But because I can feel how much stronger I am now.
This year forced me to:
- Get clearer on what I will and won’t tolerate in my life.
- Listen to my body when it said “you’re doing too much.”
- Accept help instead of trying to be the superhero all the time.
- Remember why I started Pink Pothos in the first place: community, care, and creating soft spaces for people who don’t always feel held.
On the business side, I kept showing up—even on the days my personal life felt like it was in shambles. I still watered what I could: the shop, the events, the people who came through needing a plant, a conversation, or just a quiet moment among the leaves.
Every repot, every event, every hug in the courtyard reminded me that I’m not doing this alone, even when it feels like it. Y’all have no idea how many times your support has been the thing that kept me from tapping out.
Looking Forward to What’s Next
Even after a heavy year, I’m walking into this next season with hope and intention.
I’m looking forward to:
- More growth – in the business and in myself. Not just “more sales,” but more impact, more alignment, more ease.
- Better systems – so I don’t have to pour from an empty cup to keep things running.
- More joy – in my parenting, in my work, and in the spaces I create for you.
Just like our plants, some seasons are about blooming and some are about surviving and rooting deeper. This year was a rooting year. A “hold on, don’t break” year.
Next year, I’m calling in a “watch what grows from this” year.
If you’ve had a tough year too—personally, emotionally, financially, all of the above—just know you’re not the only one. You’re not behind. You’re not failing. You’re growing through hard conditions.
Thank you for rocking with me, shopping with me, checking on me, showing up to events, bringing your plants, your stories, and your energy into my world.
I feel stronger because of what I’ve been through.
I feel supported because of who’s still here.
And I’m genuinely excited to see what we grow together next.
Here’s to softer days, deeper roots, and a new year that finally reflects all the work we’ve been putting in.