A year of change, loss & becoming...

I don't normally write about my personal life....

If you know me, you know that I tend to keep certain things close. Not because I'm hiding them, but simply because I believe some parts of life don't need an audience. Not every difficult moment needs to become a post, and not every story needs to be explained.

But 2026 has been a year that deserves to be acknowledged. This year started with one of the hardest losses for me—the loss of my dog, Russo, in January. Anyone who has truly loved an animal knows that calling them "a pet" doesn't quite explain the place they hold in your life. Losing him changed something in me, and I don't think that's a loss you simply get over. You learn how to carry it differently. Then life kept moving.

There was a vehicle accident. There were unexpected changes. There were moments when plans had to be thrown out completely and rebuilt from scratch. And behind the scenes, there have been major changes surrounding the store—some exciting, some difficult, and some that required decisions I never imagined I would have to make.

I'm intentionally leaving many of those details where they belong: private.

I don't believe everything we survive needs to be publicly explained in order for it to be real.

But what I can share is that this year has taught me a tremendous amount about change.

Sometimes change arrives because you're ready for it.

Sometimes it arrives because life gives you absolutely no choice.

And sometimes, what initially feels like everything falling apart turns out to be the very thing that forces you to look at what you're building and ask yourself whether it still represents who you are and where you're going.

That's where I find myself now.

The transition into Lil Witch Academy ~ A Metaphysical Store & Learning Center isn't simply a change of name or a new logo. For me, it represents a new chapter. It's an opportunity to take everything I've learned over the years—the beautiful parts, the mistakes, the challenges, the people I've met, the community we've built—and decide intentionally what comes with me into what is next.

There are still things being figured out. There are still changes happening. And I certainly don't have some beautiful inspirational quote that magically makes a difficult year make sense.

Some things just suck.

Some things hurt.

Some things change you.

But there have also been some incredibly beautiful reminders this year: my family, my customers, the people who walk through the doors of the store, the conversations that happen there, the laughter, the friendships, and the little moments that remind me why I continue doing what I do.

So no, this isn't a post explaining everything that happened.

It's simply me acknowledging that a lot happened.

And I'm still here.

Still learning. Still creating. Still laughing—sometimes at wildly inappropriate moments.

Still changing things around the store for the hundredth time.

Still dreaming up ideas faster than I can realistically accomplish them.

And most importantly, still moving forward.

Maybe that's enough of an explanation.

For now....