“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald
Today marks the first official day of Fall and I could not be more excited! While the calendar says fall, the weather here is still screaming summer. In true Michigan form, we are having unseasonably warm days. Today, we hit 95 degrees and it was so incredibly humid! While I’m ready for crispy Fall days, I did take full advantage of this heat wave and squeaked in a few of my Lilly Pulitzer outfits from the annual sale. I assumed they wouldn’t be making an appearance until next summer but these warm temps gave me the excuse I needed to wear them. This white dress was one of my favorite picks from the sale and I was even more impressed when it arrived in the mail. The detailing on it is so beautiful!
A season marked by change, I’m ready for this new chapter of my life. The past month was an absolute whirlwind! It feels good to be back on the blog after having taken some time off to reset and regroup. As some of you know, I experienced my first taste of cyberbullying. It was incredibly unfortunate but I managed to navigate the situation. After nearly two weeks of non-stop comments coming from very mean-spirited girls, I was able to smile and take a breath of sweet relief when I read this verse from James 1:12. It reads, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” It was after reading this, in the midst of the bullying, that I opted to switch my Instagram account to private and put the blog on hold. With Instagram completely deleted from my phone, I used the opportunity to pray instead of scroll. It was a refreshing change of pace and I am grateful for the way God presented himself to me in the midst of my struggle. As I type this, I truly feel like I have persevered. I used the last month to spend time with my family, make some career leaps and move forward in my relationship. While there were plenty of times life felt “unfair”, I see now that this trial was a blessing in disguise. Sometimes a reset is good and as we head into fall, I feel like I was, in many ways, gifted a fresh start! The entirety of the month reminded me that God might let us bend but he will never let us break. I am excited to share that the future is looking very bright. I will continue blogging and writing, I have taken on a new career endeavor and most exciting, I am finally moving!!! I am excited to share where, but for now, I will tell you that it is to a place that I absolutely love.
The last thing I would like to share with you all is that National Bullying Prevention Month kicks off in October. I can’t say that I was ever passionate about it before but having experienced it first hand, it is something I would like to support moving forward. I am working on a post that shares my very personal experience with the cyberbullying I mentioned above. I hope by sharing, my story will help someone else. If you’ve ever been a victim of social media bullying or are currently walking through something along those lines now, try your very best to remember that strangers cannot touch the content of your character. And if you’ve ever bullied, think twice before you do it again. You are likely hurting someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s niece, someone’s aunt, someone’s cousin, someone’s role model, someone’s friend and most importantly, a child of God.
Here’s to a season of change and new beginnings! I look forward to seeing how God uses me in this next chapter. As I get older, I swear to you my faith gets stronger. It is a beautiful blessing and I am so thankful!
Xoxo, Anna
