The Snow is Falling; The Leaves are Calling - Little Bear

Shenanigans!

Happy Sunday, Fam!

This week accidentally turned into the staycation that my soul and my household didn’t know we needed. I opened my eyes this morning and, to my complete shock, the clock said 9:30 a.m. Now listen, to anyone without a 4-year-old child and a 5-year-old dog, that may sound normal. But to me? I felt like the main character in a Netflix original. (Michele Buteau in Survival of the Thickest type energy.)

I wandered into the living room, still half-asleep, and glanced out at the porch just in time for Jack to scream “SNOW!” in the exact same way I screamed when I saw Beyoncé earlier this year. And honestly, getting to see life through his little eyes is one of the biggest joys of motherhood.

Let me tell you something nobody writes about in the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" books. I got all types of advice: stock up on diaper sizes, avoid the onesies with a million buttons, and don't buy too many newborn clothes. But nobody told me about the emotional earthquake that hits after you become a parent. Nobody said, “Hey girl, you’re about to lose every ounce of control you once thought you had. Buckle up.”

I remember those early days so clearly, the anxiety, the overwhelm, the pressure to act like everything was fine because Instagram made it look like everyone else was thriving. Meanwhile, I was scrolling and feeling guilty. I didn’t feel like those happy moms. I felt lost.

So I found a therapist.

And let me be real with you: finding a therapist feels like an intense version of online dating. I was researching practices, scanning bios, and choosing based on whoever seemed kindest in their photo. Finally, I "swiped right" and then the first sessions can be awkward. You might not find your match in round one. But when you do? Life-changing.

(If you're in the Chicagoland Area or have questions about getting started, reach out, I got you.)

On the night Butler & Co. was born, I was feeling the same anxiety I felt as a brand new parent. But this time, I was prepared, and I remembered my therapist telling me, “Just journal.” One night, I finally listened. I opened my laptop and started typing so fast, I felt like the main character of a classic black and white film with a typewriter and a cigarette in hand. Words poured out, ideas formed, and somewhere in all that noise… the anxiety softened. 

Not long ago, someone asked me, “So… what is Butler & Co.?”

I smiled because the truth is simple: It’s my brand and my company. But the deeper truth? I don’t fully know all the answers yet; the story is still unfolding.

And that brings me back to the snow this morning. Fresh snow always reminds me of cracking open a new journal, allowing your thoughts to just pour out on the page without worry, and sitting in the unknown of what will grace the remaining pages. That’s life. We don’t always know where our careers are going, what parenthood will bring, or how relationships will shift. We just wake up each day and let the next chapter reveal itself.

Right now, my life feels like anything and everything could be the subject of the next blank page in my journal. There are so many paths in front of me, and whew, not knowing which one to pick? Terrifying. I’ve always been a planner. But life humbled me in 2023 when I got laid off from my dream job at Microsoft. Losing that role changed me in ways I didn’t realize it would. I grieved, I questioned everything, and then slowly... I rebuilt it. I came out stronger on the other side.

I learned a lot from that experience: life isn’t about RSUs, job titles, or the company on your email signature. Those things never end up in your journal at the end of the day. The real content is you, your resilience, your curiosity, your growth, your joy. Your story is written in the little moments between the big ones.

Fam, a new season brings a clean page. Let what you write here be softer. Try something new. Reframe something heavy. Choose a path you’ve been avoiding. Or be a revolutionary and create your own lane entirely. Whatever you do, please, be gentle with yourself this season. I’m right there with you.