Reflecting on 2024 and Welcoming 2025
2024 was a life-altering year—a year of sleepless nights and profound shifts. My family has always had a deep connection to our dream space, where visions of change and clarity often emerge. When sleep eludes me, it’s a signal that transformation is brewing. This year, that signal was unmistakable.
As you may have gathered, I’m a private person. Sharing glimpses of my inner world feels both cathartic and vulnerable. The past few years have brought immense change, all leading to the moments and realizations I’ve experienced in 2024. As a young girl, my dreams were vast yet rooted: a bustling home filled with children, a thriving farm or ranch with animals, a business I could nurture from home, and a life brimming with joy and purpose. I’ve had the privilege of tasting the sweetness of many of these dreams. Some I long to reclaim, and others are still unfolding.
My focus has always been on ensuring my children’s happiness. As a mother of four, their well-being is my heart’s compass. Yet, this year reminded me of a vital truth: my own self-preservation matters just as much as theirs. Without tending to myself, I cannot offer them the foundation they deserve.
This year felt volcanic, a force of nature shaking everything loose. I know I’m not alone in feeling this intensity—as if an unseen wave swept through, catching those of us who dared to breathe deeply. Life has been tough, but through the cracks, I’ve glimpsed the light. Every heartbreak, from childhood to now, has been a teacher, shaping me into who I am.
What grounds me today is what grounded me as a child: the earth beneath my hands and feet, the simple, enduring aspects of life our ancestors relied upon. Homesteading, stewarding the land, watching my children grow—these are the essentials that nourish my soul. I often call myself a fancy farm girl, carrying both city and country living in my veins. This duality is my strength, and I wouldn’t trade the core of who I am for anything.
As 2025 approaches, I find myself yearning for a softer life, one with gentler lessons. While I am weary, my will to live and thrive is stronger than ever. My wish for the new year is for all of us to find the joy we’ve dreamt of—a joy that comes not from shortcuts, but from doing the work. Let’s commit to that work, to finding our joy, and to not settling for anything less.
Cheers to a year of hope, resilience, and living our dreams with purpose.
XO, Cassandra