there’s that scene in “When Harry Met Sally” where Harry says:
“when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”

this is about the rest of your life

I had gum surgery last week

I did a lot of things to prepare for it
got rides to and from
and some xanax because I was awake 😳
picked up my prescriptions ahead of time
that kind of thing

it wasn’t “real” surgery
so what I didn’t do was to prepare for what came next

it didn’t even occur to me

someone to stay with me
feed me, walk the dog, clean the bunny cage
the fact that I would be down for the count
the pain, the swelling, the discomfort

and this morning I looked in the mirror
and didn’t recognize myself

I had gone from warrior goddess
(thank you, it’s true)
to droopy dog
the swelling, the jowls, you can’t even

today it was obviously temporary

but I remember a time in my life
when i looked in the mirror one day
and thought who the f*ck is that?
and what did she do to emily?

where did i go?

and it took me a long time to remember who I was
to harness the best parts
to reinvent the parts that needed it
to release the parts that were beyond saving
to build a joyful life

and now so many women come to me
because they have absolutely forgotten who they are
and why they’re here

they don’t recognize themselves

they prepared like rockstars for weddings and motherhood and staying home
and going back to work and changing careers and empty nesting
and any number of life transitions

but like me and my dumb surgery
they forgot to plan for what happens next
what that actually looks like

it literally doesn’t occur to them

and then one day they wake up and realize they have been lost for far too long

and that is the best day

because it’s not too late
to remember who you are
to reclaim your life
to reclaim your badass
for the highest good of all

(I promise)

I can help