06/29/2026
Before I Turn the Page 📖
I don't think we're meant to carry every version of ourselves into the next chapter of our lives...
As June comes to an end and I prepare to celebrate my 40th birthday in just a few days, I find myself reflecting less on the passing of time and more on the person time has quietly shaped me into. Somewhere along the way, I stopped chasing the idea of becoming someone else and started appreciating the woman I'm becoming.
There are versions of me that I'll always be grateful for, even if I wouldn't want to become them again. There was the version who questioned herself constantly, who replayed conversations in her mind and carried other people's opinions far longer than she should have. There was the version who believed she had to make everyone happy, who held on to things she couldn't control, and who spent too much energy trying to figure out what everyone else was thinking.
She wasn't weak. She was surviving the only way she knew how. Looking back now, I don't feel embarrassed for her. I feel compassion. She carried me through seasons that eventually led me here, and for that, she deserves my gratitude instead of my criticism.
This past year has changed me in ways that aren't obvious from the outside. The biggest transformations rarely are. They've happened quietly in the moments where I've challenged my own thinking, learned to let go of what isn't mine to carry, and slowly discovered that peace often comes from simplifying life instead of trying to control it. I've realized that healing isn't one grand moment where everything suddenly makes sense. It's choosing, day after day, to respond differently than you did before.
As I close the chapter on June, I'm also beginning to close the chapter on my thirties. Surprisingly, I'm not feeling sadness. I'm feeling excitement. Not because I think life suddenly becomes easier at forty, but because I've spent the last few years doing the inner work that has made this next chapter feel like a fresh beginning instead of something to fear.
If I've learned anything, it's that growth isn't about leaving your past behind. It's about thanking every version of yourself that helped you get here, while giving yourself permission to step forward without carrying everything they once needed.
So before I turn the page, I'm taking a deep breath. I'm letting go of what no longer serves me, holding a little tighter to what truly matters, and walking into this next chapter with an open heart. I have a feeling it's going to be a beautiful one.
Happy Monday Everyone xoxo
Ebree Photography
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