Hi,

My heart is so full as I sit down to write this week’s letter.

We just wrapped up another Rosemary’s Weekend, and I found myself thinking about how one simple decision years ago has become one of the greatest gifts to me.

You may be wondering…

What is Rosemary’s Weekend?

Several years ago, when my mom was diagnosed with dementia, she kept saying the same thing.

She wanted to spend time with the women on her side of the family as they live further and she didn’t see them as often.

I knew our time together was limited. I just didn’t know how limited.

So instead of waiting for “someday,” I reached out to everyone and asked if they’d be willing to create a new family tradition.

That was the beginning of Rosemary’s Weekend.

One of the most beautiful gifts from that very first gathering came from my cousins. They created a black-and-white photo album of my mom’s entire life.

Every page held another memory.

Every page held another piece of her story.

My mom was only able to attend one Rosemary’s Weekend.

By the following year, her dementia had progressed too far for her to join us.

Today, even though she is no longer physically with us, we continue the tradition.

And in many ways…

I know she is with us and a big reason we all come together.

As many of you know, this month has been a season of integration for me.

I’ve talked openly about stepping into my next-level identity.

What’s interesting is that there may be no greater place to see your own growth than around the people who have known you your entire life.

The cousins who knew me as a little girl.

The people who remember every version of you.

Being with family has been beautiful.

Growth has a funny way of revealing itself when you’re surrounded by the people who knew who you used to be.

But this weekend reminded me of something much deeper.

It reminded me of the extraordinary power of women gathering together.

There was no drama. No competition. No keeping score.

Just laughter.

Helping each other cook dinner.

Long conversations around the table.

The kind of love that makes you exhale because you know you’re safe.

It reminded me that community is one of life’s greatest luxuries.

Sometimes it’s the family you’re born into.

Sometimes it’s the family you intentionally create.

Either way…it’s a gift.

One of the things I’m most grateful for is that I didn’t wait…until the time was right. If I had, we never would have gone because then COVID happened..

I didn’t assume we’d have more time. I said yes when it was inconvenient. I said YES to life instead of listening to limitations.  

Reason and logic will keep you stuck. Intuition will always lead you to where you’re meant to be.

But you have to be brave enough to listen.

We created the memories while we still could.

Looking back now, I’m equally grateful that I took my mom to Portugal before her dementia progressed.

Those memories have become even more priceless.

They remind me that life is for the living.

The right moment is never later – it’s right now.

This weekend reminded me…

To make time for the people you love.

To do the hard things when your heart knows they’re the right things.

To assume that everyone is doing the best they can, even when you don’t know what they’re silently carrying.

Because the truth is…

Very rarely do we know what someone is truly walking through.

This year’s gathering brought an unexpected gift.

The very first year, my mom received the memory book.

Last year, my cousin Dena got the book.

This year…

They handed it to me.

Inside was my parents’ wedding announcement

Photographs from before I was born.

Pictures from every chapter of our family’s story.

Holding it felt like holding generations of love.

But there was another gift I wasn’t expecting.

As we sat together, my cousins began reflecting something back to me.

One of them smiled and said,

“If we could all be a little more like Melissa…”

I laughed and asked,

“What do you mean?”

She looked at me and simply said,

“You’re living an amazing life.”

Another cousin, one of the people I’m closest to, quietly said,

“You feel so different to me.”

And in that moment, I realized something.

They weren’t complimenting my accomplishments.

They were reflecting back who I’ve become.

There were no questions about when I was getting married.

No questions about what I should be doing next.

Instead…

There was admiration.

Encouragement.

Pride.

And I realized that the work we do on ourselves eventually becomes visible to everyone else.

One day, your identity stops being something you quietly feel inside.

It becomes something other people naturally experience when they’re around you.

That may have been one of the greatest reminders of all.

As you’ve been following my own reinvention, you’ve watched me move through identity shifts, travel the world, pursue dreams that once felt impossible, and continue living The Bold Life.

But this weekend reminded me that bold dreams don’t always look like big leaps.

Sometimes…

The boldest thing is to create a family tradition. To be a yes to yourself. To choose you and to do what makes you happy.

So this week, I want to leave you with one question.

Where could you create your own version of “Rosemary’s” Weekend?

Perhaps this is your reminder to gather the people you love.

Take the trip. Choose the date. Be a yes and take that next step.

Begin creating the memories that one day become your life’s greatest treasures.

Because sometimes…

The boldest thing we ever do isn’t moving across the world.

Sometimes it’s simply deciding to create a memory, a tradition, with the people we love most.

And I think that’s a beautiful way to live.

Rewrite The Rules,

Melissa Kathryn

P.S. If you missed last week’s Bold Life Letter, click here.

And if these private letters have been meaningful to you, would you share them with someone you love?

These letters are something I only share with this community, and every time you forward one, you help someone else remember that it’s never too late to rewrite the rules.

Thank you for being here.  I’ll see you next week.