A grateful heart is a quiet lantern,
glowing softly through the corridors of life.
This year, as I stepped into my thirties,
its light felt warmer
as if the universe itself cupped its hands
around my small flame
and whispered, “Be gentle with yourself.”
And gentle it has been.
Dreams I once tucked into silence
blossomed quietly behind the scenes.
I learned to give back,
to treat myself with the same tenderness
I’ve always offered others.
This year was stitched together
with small things,
tiny, almost invisible blessings
that somehow expanded my world.
Moments of knowing myself,
of pausing to appreciate the life I already have,
of seeing the sacred in the ordinary.
I am wrapped in the kindness of people
whose hearts feel like home;
family, siblings, and the two little minions,
each a gift I could never earn
but will forever treasure.
And so I stand here, grateful.
Grateful for the softness,
the growth, the rediscovery of self.
Grateful for the mighty hand
that guides, restores, and blesses.
As the next chapter unfolds,
I manifest a year that is gentle again,
a year that is kind to me,
kind to those I love,
and kind to anyone who walks beside me.
May the light grow brighter.
May the blessings, micro or grand
continue to find their way home.