As we head into Thanksgiving week, I've been reflecting on what I'm truly grateful for; not in a generic, "blessed and highly favored" kind of way, but the real, deep stuff that's shaped who I am and the work I do.

Here are five things I'm holding close this season:

1. The Clarity That Came From My Breaking Point

2019 was one of the hardest years of my life. My son's car accident. Caregiving around the clock. Menopause hitting hard. The weight of trying to maintain a "glamorous" life while my body and mind were screaming for help. That breaking point forced me to stop. To listen. To rebuild differently. I'm grateful for that moment because it led to creating my upcoming brand company, Studio M, Midlife Reimagined to this work, and to a life that actually sustains me. Sometimes our lowest points become our greatest catalysts.

2. Medical Advances That Give Us Real Options

I'm grateful to be navigating menopause now, in an era where we have bio-identical HRT, personalized hormone testing, and doctors who are actually paying attention and taking women's health seriously. Our mothers didn't have these choices. Our grandmothers suffered in silence. We have access to information, community, and solutions that generations before us could only dream of. That's not something to take lightly.

3. The Women Who Show Up For Themselves and Each Other

I'm grateful for the Studio M community. For my clients who trust me with their stories. For every woman who refuses to shrink in midlife. Your courage inspires me daily. The way you ask hard questions, advocate for yourselves, and show up even when it's uncomfortable; that’s what real strength looks like. We're not doing this alone. And that makes all the difference.

4. The Platform to Advocate for What Matters

From organizing Charlotte's Inaugural Menopause Conference to writing books that help women thrive, to earning a Mayoral Proclamation for this work I'm grateful I get to use my voice for something that matters deeply. Not everyone gets to align their purpose with their work. I don't take that for granted. If my story, my advocacy, or my resources help even one woman feel less alone or more empowered, that’s everything.

5. The Permission I Finally Gave Myself to Rest

I used to think rest was laziness. That slowing down meant falling behind. Now I know rest is strategy. It's how I sustain the energy to lead, create, and show up fully first for myself and then others. I'm grateful for the wisdom to protect my energy, set boundaries, and model what thriving not just surviving actually looks like.

Because wellness isn't optional. It's the foundation of everything else, the real life currency. I do believe that Wellness is the New Black; a style essential and now an essential for a thriving midlife.

This Thanksgiving, I'm not just grateful for what I have. I'm grateful for what I've learned and continue to learn, and for who I've become, and becoming. I'm especially thankful for the women I get to walk alongside.

What are YOU grateful for this season? Drop it in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share this with another beautiful woman in your life.

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