You live your life up to this moment and you wonder, what does life still have in store for me? Looking back, all the experiences I’ve had it’s been quite the rollercoaster.
I wonder is there a version of me that is a Princess like a real princess royalty and all ? Maybe in an alternate universe
And then I ask myself… is there only one right way to live the life we have?
Life has endless possibilities yet growing up we were all subjected to the same reality, go to school, work hard, be number one, go to college graduate, get a job, find a man/woman get married have kids, get a mortgage buy a house raise your kids, your kids get kids, you retire and finally die.
But this is rarely how things unfold.
Some are born in very rich families and don’t need to work, some are born in poor families who can barely afford an education, some have different talents, some are born in war zones, some are born to single parents, some are born into abusive environments, (and a gazillion other possibilities). Surely we cant expect to all follow the same path.
You know why the game of chess is soo famous? With every move the game branches into a wild number of possibilities. By the time you are making 5 full moves there are roughly 60 trillion possibilities.
Think about it, what if there was only one possibility the game would probably suck.
So yes you have every right to be who you are, you have every right to your experiences, to your own possibility.
When we say put yourself in my shoes or we judge other people for who they are and the decisions they make, I want you to know, in order to understand this person you have to go back to when they were born probably further than that, their parents meeting, their grandparents and then grow up how they did to understand why they make the choices they do.
These subtle nuances define a single human being.
So yes there’s no one like you who can do what you do like you do. You are special in your own way. Embrace it! Own it!
Your girl Lisa just turned 27 years on 11th February 2026. Where I stand so many of my dreams have come true. My prayers answered. I am filled with gratitude and happiness. YES I AM HAPPY.
Oh I have come far. I remember the little girl I was so full of life with nothing but will. Now a full grown woman. I live for the possibilities, who I can be, what life has to offer. I don’t say this enough to myself “I LOVE MY LIFE” every step, every failure, every win, every breath.
I always considered myself lucky, being born on a February, particularly this February there are moments of spiritual alignment and celebration.
- The beginning of Lent for Catholics Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (this year it fell on Wednesday, 18 February 2026)
- The Chinese Luna New Year – The year of the fire horse starts on the 17th of Feb
- Ramadan starts on 18th Feb
There are no coincidences, so I do consider these events intentional and fundamental for my growth this year.
What they stand for aligns soo deeply with who I want to be, who I am.
LENT SEASON FOR CATHOLICS
For Catholics, Lent is a liturgical season of preparation for Easter, a time the Church sets aside for conversion of heart, repentance, and renewal. It begins on Ash Wednesday and continues through Holy Thursday. While the calendar span is longer, the traditional “40 days” refers to counting without Sundays, since Sundays remain celebrations of the Resurrection.
The “40” days come from the Scripture, Jesus’ forty days in the desert, and Lent is meant to unite believers to that same idea: stepping back from distractions, facing what needs healing, and returning to God with clarity and sincerity.
I remember back in high school, I was a Catholic in a Catholic School. Lent season was so real. We had a nun principal who was so amazing. She taught us so much and Lent was mandatory regardless of being catholic or not. I remember this one time we went for the way of the cross, 14 step devotion commemorating Jesus Christ’s passion and death. It was so powerful, I had so much devotion then, it was a simpler time.
RAMADAN
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar and one of the holiest times in Islam. It commemorates the month in which Muslims believe the Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad, and it’s centered on worship, character, and renewal.
The most visible practice is fasting (sawm) from dawn to dusk, no food or drink during those hours, starting with a pre-dawn meal (suhoor) and breaking the fast at sunset with (iftar). Fasting in Ramadan is meant to train the inner life: patience over impulse, meaning over comfort, and intention over habit. In that sense, Ramadan is a month of chosen restraint; stepping back from what you want right now so you can see what you truly live for.
The last ten nights are especially important, as Muslims seek Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power/Decree), a night described in Islamic tradition as spiritually immense, associated with intense prayer and seeking forgiveness. Ramadan ends with Eid al-Fitr, a celebration that marks the close of the fasting month and includes communal prayer and acts of giving.
I have a very close friend who is Muslim, and this year I am throwing my hat in the ring and trying this fasting the way Muslims do it. I am two days in and it’s amazing the restraint I am employing. No food, no drink, no leisure, not even a sip of water guys lol. I want to make it the full month. Restraint and intentionality is a goal of mine this year.
CHINESE LUNAR YEAR
Chinese New Year often called Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival is a major celebration observed in China and by Chinese communities worldwide. It’s a 15-day festival that runs through the next full moon, ending with the Lantern Festival. And for the first time in 60 years the year of the Fire Horse is back. Along with the 12-year cycle of animal signs, the Chinese zodiac also pairs each year with one of five classical elements Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
The Horse (马, mǎ) is a symbol of movement. The fire horse marks a year of intense passion, energy, and creativity.
Chinese idiom says: When the horse arrives, success arrives. “The horse’s energy is associated with yang energy, which is active, dynamic, and life-generating, and speaks to ambition and vitality.”
So here we see movement with intention, a horse with no rider is just raw energy, having a rider gives it intention, purpose. All which aggressively align with who I want to be, who I am.
PERSONAL ANECDOTE
This year my focus is intentionality and movement. And all these three cultural and sacred observances align deeply with me. And I know you are wondering doesn’t this dilute my origin and culture as someone born Kenyan Catholic? I asked myself that question too. “Wahenga walisema mwacha mila ni mtumwa” so I was asking myself “kweli mimi ni mtumwa?” But I wasn’t born Catholic. I was born and then I learned how to be Catholic because my parents were, if I was born to Muslim parents I would be Muslim, if I was born in China I would be enjoying the festivals in red.
Question is what is stopping me now?
So no I am not Chinese but maybe just maybe an alternate version of me is somewhere in China, am still probably a girl, wearing my bright red qipao with gold accents hair pinned neatly, standing under swaying red lanterns. The night is electric and I feel energized, hopeful and somehow it feels like all my dreams will come true.
When I turned 27 a few days ago, there was a bit tragedy and I was struck with anxiety, disorientation and a questioning of everything I know. At one point I thought I could be in Mexico now living my best life. But NO I cannot give up now. With all this positive spiritual energy going around might as well join the flow.
This year INTENTION AND MOVEMENT!
I know I write a lot of these for myself but you are here and you have come this far. Humor me for a second, wouldn’t the blessings and frequency of the Chinese new year be exciting for you too? Wouldn’t you want to practice restraint with the Muslims or repentance with Catholics?
The world is your oyster.
