Twenty-Seven

I woke up this morning and something felt different. Not in a dramatic, life-changing way – more like when you finally get contacts after wearing glasses for years and suddenly realize how much clearer everything can be.

Twenty-Seven

I’ve been running consistently for months now, and my body feels strong in a way it never has before. Not just physically, though that’s part of it. I catch myself standing taller, speaking up more in meetings, not apologizing for taking up space. Marcus keeps asking what’s gotten into me, and honestly? I’m not entirely sure.

Twenty-seven wasn’t supposed to be a milestone birthday. It’s not one of the big ones – not 25 or 30 or anything that comes with expectations. But here I am, looking in the mirror and liking what I see in a way that feels… new. Maybe it’s the running, maybe it’s finally feeling settled into being Sophie’s mom, maybe it’s just time. Whatever it is, I’m not questioning it.

I’m thinking about trying CrossFit. Elena from last year would have laughed at that sentence, but Elena from this year? She’s curious. She wants to see what else her body can do. What else she can do. Twenty-seven looks different than I expected. Better, actually.