Semi Secret Sophie🌙✨

12/08/2025

This year has been one for the books.

There have been soaring highs and some really tough lows, but if there is one word that captures 2025 for me, it is growth. Real, messy, transformative growth. The kind that does not always feel beautiful in the moment, but blooms into something soft and strong with time.

I have been through a lot this year. Physically, emotionally, mentally. In May, I finally had a long-awaited procedure to repair my abdominal muscles and remove the extra skin that had been hanging on since pregnancy and weight changes. That decision took years of self-reflection and grit. Now, over six months later, I am proud to say I am healing beautifully. It was not easy, but I did it. I fought for my comfort, my confidence, and my body.

But healing is not always linear. A few weeks ago, my doctor and I made the choice to increase the dosage on one of my prescriptions. The side effects hit fast. My weight crept up a little, and with it came a familiar voice: the one that whispers doubt, criticism, and shame. That old demon called disordered eating tried to crawl back in.

And here is the part I am proudest of: I did not let it win.

This time, I paused. I reminded myself, this is my body. This soft, strong, stubborn vessel has carried me through so much. I am not going to punish it. I am choosing nourishment, not numbers. Water, not war. Smoothies, not shame. And yes, I am letting myself enjoy little snacks and moments of joy, because I deserve them.

I am learning to be kinder to myself. Not in a performative, Pinterest-quotes kind of way. In a real, daily, I-deserve-to-feel-safe-in-my-own-skin kind of way.

So, as the holidays sneak up (and I start making mental lists of gifts and groceries and probably forget the cranberry sauce again), I am also making room for gratitude. I am so thankful for this body, this year, this journey.

And let us be honest, with Christmas coming up, I am obviously the star that every tree needs. 💁‍♀️✨

xx

Soph