A letter from May 29, 2025

Dear Me, Happy birthday babe. You’re 26 now. You actually made it. And I don’t mean just got through the year I mean really made it. Through chaos, heartbreak, burnout, growth, joy, and somehow still holding on to who you are. You’ve been through hell and kept your softness. That’s rare. You lost Vinny to alex this year lost your home lost your family from his side. It shattered you. But you see Vinny once a week now and that bond is still unbreakable. You’re still his mummy. You and Alex are on decent terms somehow. Think he’s realising what he’s missing now. You never got real answers for why he left you but that’s on him. It hurt like hell but you grew from it. Moving back home at 25 wasn’t in the plan, but it brought you to the right people. You and Sophia are closer than ever best friends in the realest way. You found safety there. You and Charlotte too it’s just easy and true. You went to Thailand. You really did it. You saw elephants. You met beautiful people. You reconnected with Laurel. You even met a fit surgeon and still laugh about it. You went skiing too. Laughed more than you have in ages. Felt free. You’ve got Crete with the girls coming up and Ibiza on the horizon. You’re finally building the life you talked about for so long. You set up a tiny legal clinic this year. Helped so many people. Probably too many. You were doing law for everyone else while trying to keep yourself afloat. And it got heavy. People took from you, but now you know better. You’ve learned to look after yourself too. That’s not selfish it’s survival. It was a good learning curve. You started helping out with horses once a week. You needed that stillness. That quiet. It’s been a kind of healing you didn’t expect. You’ve been told not to do the Bar course. That you’re not good enough, that it’s not worth it, that you won’t make it. But that’s never stopped you before. You are not here to play small. You never were. You’ve had dark moments this year. Ruts. Exhaustion. Feeling lost. But your friends they love you. Like really love you. You’re starting to believe that now. You’re even starting to love yourself a little. Putting effort into how you look. Caring again. Feeling guilty when you skip the gym. Who would’ve thought I’d ever care about the gym? And this year with Kevin… it was a lot. The fall, bringing him back to life being his LPA, the stress, the responsibility. You held it all. You carried everyone while still working, still healing, still trying to find your way. And you did. This birthday is quieter than usual but it’s exactly what you need. A lovely dinner with the girls. A picnic with the girls drinks with Mum. A BBQ with the family. Just love. It’s calmer this year and I’m more at peace. No, you don’t have it all figured out yet. But you will. Because you always find a way. You always rise. And maybe this is the year being 26 you finally realise you were never meant to live a small life you were always meant to take up space to be powerful to love fiercely to choose yourself to become everything they said you couldn’t And you will. Now go get it. Love always, Me