09/06/2026
Today I'm 31. 🎂
I am blessed to still be alive and to be where I am.
Two years ago today, I was in really, really rough shape. Living with Crohn's Disease has put me in medical situations that I never could have imagined for myself. Yet in those same two years, I've continued to be a farmer, continued building something of my own, and became a full-time mom.
Life has changed a lot.
As I've gotten older, I've realized that so much of what I've learned hasn't come from things going according to plan. It's come from the hard seasons, the unexpected ones, the beautiful ones, and the ones that humbled me.
So, for my 31st birthday, here are 31 lessons I've learned in my life—and lessons I hope to teach my son:
1. Life is going to be insufferable at times. C'est la vie.
2. You can't control everything that happens to you, but you can control your reactions.
3. No matter what happens, let yourself feel, but don't let yourself fall apart.
4. Try not to let people bring you out of your character.
5. You don't owe anyone anything.
6. Everyone doesn't deserve an explanation.
7. Be kind first. You never know what someone else is going through.
8. Don't let anyone walk over you.
9. You will never stop learning.
10. Don't be so closed-minded that you cut yourself off from knowledge, new experiences, and opportunities.
11. You don't have to understand, but you do need to respect other ways of life.
12. Move in silence.
13. Be careful who you call a friend.
14. Work hard, but don't go overboard for a job that'd replace you tomorrow. Put that energy into building your own table.
15. Be comfortable keeping your own company.
16. Try not to act out of anger.
17. Take the time to learn who you are.
18. Give more than you receive.
19. Boundaries are essential.
20. Cooking and cleaning are life skills, not gendered tasks.
21. At the end of the day, we're all on a floating rock hurtling through space. You don't have to take life so seriously all the time.
22. Money is a construct and a tool, use it accordingly.
23. You're going to be humbled. Try to find the lesson in it.
24. Protect your peace.
25. We all bleed red.
26. It's OK to cry.
27. Having emotions doesn't make you weak or less than.
28. Don't let ego rule you.
29. Never give so much of yourself that there's nothing left for you.
30. Don't be afraid to be different.
31. Common sense is not a flower that grows in everyone's garden, but let it be bountiful in yours. 🌱
Here's to 31—to growing food, raising our son, slow building my life's work, continuing to learn, and seeing what this next year brings. 💚
