A Life in Bloom: Embracing the Present

I just had a birthday. I’m 48. And while some (mostly my kids) might think that sounds old… I don’t feel old at all. I feel like me.

Yes, my body carries a few more wrinkles now, a few more aches and pains — but truthfully, I’ve lived with that in different ways my whole life. As someone who’s moved through injuries and chronic pain, my body has always had a story to tell.

When I look ahead, I don’t see an ending. I see time.

If I’m lucky, I might have another 40 years, maybe more. And when I really sit with that, it feels expansive — almost like being given another lifetime all over again.

There is still so much to experience. So much to learn. So much to notice.

This past year has been full. In ways I expected and in ways I didn’t.

There have been moments of growth, moments of challenge, and long stretches of just holding everything together while quietly rebuilding something new. Being a mum, a creative, a business owner, a worker, a provider, a daughter, a sister, a friend — all of those roles layered on top of each other, often all at once.

And somewhere in all of that, I’ve noticed how much I rush.

Moving quickly from one thing to the next. Multitasking. Always thinking about what’s coming next, rather than being where I am.

So this year, my intention feels simple, but not easy.

To be more present.

To really experience life as it is — the small moments, the repetitive ones, the overwhelming ones, the joyful ones. To notice more. To feel more. To move through it all with a little more awareness, and a little less judgement.

This is where A Life in Bloom begins.

A place to reflect, to document, to notice what’s unfolding month by month as I move through this next chapter — 48, 49, and beyond.

If you’re here reading this, I’d love for you to be part of it too.

To notice your own moments.

To reflect on what’s shifting for you.

To gently pay attention to your own life as it unfolds.

💛

Lou Jane