47 and Grateful: A Reflection on Life’s Cycles

Today, I turn 47.

I keep joking that I’m actually turning 37 because, honestly, it doesn’t quite feel real. But as I step into this next chapter, I can’t help but reflect on the journey that has led me here—the love, the loss, the change, the lessons, the perspective.

They say life moves in seven-year cycles. Looking back, my last cycle was one of a lot of grief, resilience and I hope, transformation.

When I turned 40, I didn’t really celebrate.

Just months before, I lost my stepson, Ethan… a beautiful soul who had been the closest thing to a son for me for over 13 years. That kind of loss leaves an imprint that never fades. Around the same time, I became estranged from my parents, which brought another kind of grief, different but just as profound.

Then came a whirlwind of change —moving back to Sydney from Melbourne, being forced out of our home twice, navigating COVID, supporting my sister through breast cancer, losing my best friend in a tragic accident, my mother passing after decades of illness, and suddenly losing another dear friend. It felt relentless and a phase that I wasn’t sure I’d ever fully emerge from.

But here I am.

And after almost four years since the last loss, I can finally say I’ve found a way to sit with it all—to make peace with what can never be undone. The loss never disappears and the holes in my heart remain, but they have softened into something I can carry with me, rather than something that weighs me down.

And through all of it, I have found so much more gratitude.

Gratitude for life. For health. For my beautiful husband, my family, my friends, and, of course, my firecracker sidekick, Riley. Gratitude for perspective, for the ability to embrace change rather than fear it, for the unwavering love that has carried me through.

This is why, when David was offered a role in Singapore, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Because if there’s one thing my best friend taught me, it’s to welcome every opportunity with open arms and just do it. It’s why, with every move, I pivot my business, shaping it to fit the next adventure rather than holding onto what was. It’s why I try to live every day as though it could be my last—not out of fear, but out of a deep appreciation for the present.

I wouldn’t wish for any of the loss, but I am grateful for the clarity it has given me. And as I enter this new seven-year cycle, I feel ready. Ready for all the adventure, the love, the creativity, the unknown. Ready to embrace what’s ahead with open arms and an open heart.

Also today I celebrate not just another birthday but 20 years since David and I fell in love. What a journey it has been—one I am endlessly grateful for.

And to top it all off, I get to celebrate with my parents-in-law, who have been my rock, my family, and a constant source of unconditional love.

When I told Rose yesterday,

“I can’t believe I’m 47,” she simply smiled and said,

“I know, how lucky that you are so young.”

Perspective. And I just love that.

So here’s to the next seven years. I am so ready.

Big love,

Aisha xox