Things I’m Loving Lately

And a photo that brought life full circle

I snapped this photo with my college girlfriends at Maddie’s graduation party, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. What struck me most was the timing—Maddie is stepping into the exact chapter of life where I met these women. That sacred, in-between stage when you’re no longer a kid, but still far from grown.

These are the girls—or the Phi Sigs, as we were back then: Jenny (in pink), me, Renee, Jess, and Holly (in green). We have dinner once a month, celebrate the holidays together, escape to Key West every winter, and are a constant source of support in the day-to-day.

There’s something so tender about realizing that Maddie—and Ava, in just three short years—is stepping into the season that shaped me most, 25 years ago. (And also—how are we old enough to have college-age kids when we were just there?) The friendships, the boys (some of whom we married), the shenanigans—I never had so much fun in my life. So much of who I am today was formed back then. That entire foundation is still holding strong.

And honestly, looking at this photo stirred up every feeling at once—the joy, the gratitude, the disbelief that time moves this fast.

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I’m sharing the rest with paid subscribers—a handful of things I’ve been reaching for lately, using, wearing, and enjoying. Just some real-life favorites I think are worth passing along.