hope you're proud of me

They said writing down your plans is another way of manifesting them into reality. At 20, I wrote down a short list of things I wanted to do in the future.

It had things that seemed inevitable to happen such as bringing my mom to all the places we've always wanted to go when I can finally afford it, buying a house, getting married, and having kids. And things that at the time, seemed out of my reach like filling up my passport with stamps, buying one luxury item, and starting my own business (a garden cafe!).

In an ironic twist of fate, I found myself with a brand I built from scratch, owning a few fancy things, and ticking off countries that were on my list before I even turned 25. But it's probably gonna take a few more years to be able to finish building my own home. Marriage (even a potential partner) is nowhere in sight. Due to health issues, there's a possibility of never being anyone's biological mom. And the only place I managed to bring my mom to with my hard-earned money was the hospital.

My life may have changed when I lost the people who mattered the most but - I am where I am, and I am who I am, because of the plans I had made together with the people I loved. I'm slowly crossing off the things I set out to do. And I've accomplished so much more beyond my simple ambitions. While the people I wanted to be there for my life's small and big milestones are no longer around to see it, I still hope that wherever they are now, I make them proud.

'hope you're proud of me' is for the sad girls wishing that wherever I am now, *you* should have been here.

scent strength guide