Happy 4th of July! I can’t believe how fast this year is going — the fact that we are more than half way through the year is mind-boggling. For me, the second half of the year always goes by so fast (travel, holidays, enjoying some of my favorite hobbies, etc) and this year will be no different.

Today, I am grateful for so much. Grateful for my freedom. Grateful to be able to make choices — saying yes, no, or maybe later. Thank you to all who have served, continue to serve. Thank you to all families who sacrifice missing holidays with their loved ones who are serving; who live life day-to-day without their loved ones in their presence. A special thank you to all of my relatives, family-friends, and friends who have served our country.

This year has been nothing short of a year of (more) growth and pushing myself to become a better version of me — in all aspects of life. Challenges and obstacles have been thrown my way (yes, even on New Year’s Day 2025) this year. It is difficult in the moment to not get upset, mad, question why me / why now.

Holidays have always had some kind of meaning for me — especially when growing up back in my hometown with family. Today and for sometime, certain holidays look different for me. It was something that I knew I would be giving up when I moved away from family and friends back in 2014.

While no holiday, or in this case, 4th of July has looked the same over the last 10 + years — I enjoy taking time to reflect on past traditions with family and things that I have enjoyed myself doing on holidays. This holiday weekend, I will be taking time to rest with no obligations. I am grateful that I can use some time to catch up in areas of my own personal life along with my business. Being able to do things on my own time with fewer distractions than normal is always a blessing in my eyes. I get to choose what I do, take time to do things that I enjoy doing, and use more time to rest & prepare for the next week ahead.

I hope that today / this weekend you’re able to reflect on how you can find the joy in traditions or memories that you make. Wishing you and your family & loved ones a safe and Happy 4th of July!