06/03/2026
I’ve changed my mind so many times over the last 50 years about what I want, how I choose to spend my time, and which people and projects deserve my energy. Growth has a way of doing that. The things that felt right at one stage of life don’t always remain right as we learn, evolve, experience loss, gain wisdom, and discover what truly matters.
I’ve met resistance along the way. People have questioned my loyalty when, in reality, they know only a fraction of the story. When I served in public office, I was criticized for changing my position after receiving new information and listening to the voices of the community. Yet I’ve always believed that the willingness to reconsider, to learn, and to adapt is not a weakness, it’s a sign of integrity.
I no longer feel compelled to defend every decision, explain every change of heart, or provide a detailed account of my journey for the comfort of others. Not every chapter requires public commentary. Not every boundary needs justification. Some decisions are made quietly, after years of reflection, and are understood only by those who have walked the road beside us.
At this stage in my life, I trust myself enough to let people misunderstand me if they choose. I know what I’ve carried, what I’ve learned, and why I’ve made the choices I have. My responsibility is not to convince everyone else. My responsibility is to live in alignment with what I know to be true today, and to remain open to the possibility that tomorrow may teach me something new.
And gentle reader, may you be gifted this same luxury: the freedom to change your mind without apology, to outgrow what no longer fits, to follow new information where it leads, and to become someone your younger self never could have imagined. May you grant yourself permission to evolve without needing the approval of those committed to an older version of who you were.
