I Didn't Choose Embroidery at First-My Health Did

For years, I stood behind a barber chair with clippers in hand - shaping fades, chatting with cliets, feeling strong in who I was and what I did. I loved the rhythm of it. The confidence. The connection.

But sometimes life throws you into a new path before you're ready - whether you like it or not.

I remember the day I knew I had to step away. I had been pushing through the pain for years. I was struggling with lupus flares, and waking up exhausted no matter how much I rested. But I kept showing up, because...well, that's what we do.

Until I couldn't anymore.

I had a moment in the shop where everything blurred - my body did not feel steady, I was feeling disoriented. I began having a seizure and remember feeling extremely scared because this was a symptom I had not had before. I was rushed by ambulence to the hospital and had another 10 or 15 seizures.

It was time to listen to my body.

Walking away from hair was one of the hardest decisions I've every made. Not because I didn't want to heal - but because it felt like I was losing a part of who I was.

I picked up embroidery almost by accident - a creative outlet, something to do with my hands when they felt restless. But what I didn't expect was how much peace it has brought me.

Thread by thread, I started to feel whole again. It was slower. Quieter. But just as full of meaning.

It allowed me to express the thngs I couldn't always say out loud - like my "Do Not Disturb" crewneck or my "Still" design.

I didn't choose embroidery at first- my health did. But I'm so thankful for where it's led me. It's given my purpose

, creativity, and a connection to people who value handmade stories just like mine.

If you're reading this, you're part of that. And I'm so grateful you're here.