Saturday Smiles & Sofa Surprises

Family catch-ups, fast food drop-offs, and the financial fear of furnishing your life.

Today was one of those Saturdays that filled my cup just enough — before reminding me it’s probably time to cancel said cup from Amazon.

The morning started off on the sweetest note: I got to spend time with Grandma Sallie, Peggy, Libby, and my mom. And y’all — everyone looked amazing. Glowing skin, bright smiles, warm hugs — it was one of those visits that reminds you just how strong and beautiful your roots are. Catching up with them felt like a deep breath I didn’t know I needed.

After that, I dropped off lunch to Emily and ran a couple of quick errands before heading home to get back to real life — aka packing, schoolwork, and trying to relax while my brain played a highlight reel of my to-do list.

BUT THEN — cue dramatic music — my body decided today was the perfect day to start my period.

Now let me be clear: I’m on birth control that’s supposed to stop it. As in, full-on hormonal shutdown. But apparently, my uterus didn’t get the memo. Between the cramps, the clots, and the bathroom drama, I honestly had to ask myself: who signed me up for this subscription? And how do I unsubscribe?!

Like seriously, if the whole point was to avoid this kind of mess, what exactly am I paying in mood swings for?

It’s exhausting, frustrating, and frankly, not worth the bloated, bed-bound chaos. Shout-out to my heating pad for doing what modern medicine apparently cannot.

BUT — the new couch has started arriving.

One piece at a time, just like the anxiety. And while it’s easy to get caught up in the “what now?” of it all, I had a little moment of clarity today:

👉 This is what I work for.

The long days, the side hustles, the late-night study sessions — they all lead to this. To creating a life that feels like mine.

And yes, I have the luxury of it being just me, which makes it easier to maintain in some ways — but that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve nice things too. I work hard, I care deeply, and I’ve been through enough to know that comfort is earned — emotionally and financially.

Setting up what I hope will be my final house has been equal parts exciting and stressful. It’s the ultimate blank canvas — a chance to build a space that’s peaceful, cozy, and completely mine. Sure, there are two mortgages and some “what ifs” swirling around, but there’s also pride. Pride in doing it on my own, in building a life that feels right, and in knowing that this next chapter is mine to design.

So yeah — today was a lot. But it was the kind of “a lot” that reminds you why you’re doing it all in the first place.