A few years ago, I looked around at my life and thought, “Wait… where did I go?”

I had spent years as the default parent—keeping all the schedules, managing the meals, remembering the dentist appointments, and making sure the people I loved were taken care of.

And while I don’t regret pressing pause on my career to do all that, I realized somewhere along the way, I had lost my vision for me.

My kids were getting older.
They didn’t need me in the same way.
And I wasn’t sure who I was outside of being Mom.

I’ve come a long way since that foggy, soul-tired season—and I’ve learned a lot in the process.
But one truth has stood out above all the others:

You can love your family deeply—and still want more for yourself.

That doesn’t make you selfish.
It makes you human. And honest. And ready for growth.