As-salamu alaykum.

It’s funny how something as simple as a greeting can carry so much weight. It’s more than just “hello” – it’s a prayer, a blessing, a way of spreading peace. It reminds me of the importance of connection, of community, of treating each other with kindness.

It’s something I try to be mindful of, a small act with big ripples.And speaking of big things coming from small acts… self-love.

It sounds so cliché, doesn’t it? But honestly, it’s been my lifeline. Especially these past eleven years.

Since the breakup, since… well, since everything fell apart. There were days, so many days, where just getting out of bed felt like climbing a mountain.

But I learned, slowly, painfully, that I had to fill my own cup before I could pour anything into my kids, into anyone.

You can’t give what you don’t have.

* It’s a big year.

The year the debt finally gets paid off. Eleven years. Eleven years of struggling, of juggling, of wondering how I was going to make it all work.

Co-parenting… Don’t even get me started. It’s been a rollercoaster, to say the least. But my kids… they’re my everything. My eldest is 21, alreadY a great man.

My youngest is 14, navigating her own world. And me well, life throws curveballs, doesn’t it? Divorce at that age… my heart ached but i am iver it now. But we’re all… okay.

More than okay. They’re happy, they’re healthy, they’re figuring things out. And that, that’s my biggest accomplishment.

That’s what makes all the struggles worthwhile.I’ve changed so much over these years. I’m not the same person I was back then.

The hurt, the anger… it’s faded. It’s not gone completely, but it doesn’t define me anymore. Changing companies was a huge step. Finding my “click,” my tribe, the people who just… get me.

That’s been a game-changer. It’s like finally finding where you belong. They accept me, flaws and all.

They celebrate my wins and hold me up when I stumble. And that, that’s what true friendship is.

That’s what makes this journey, this crazy, beautiful, messy journey, so incredibly worth it. Alhamdulillah.