I Took the Pen Back.
I didn’t grow up believing I had a voice. I grew up in a world where everything was decided for me—how to dress, what to believe, who to trust, what role to play. I learned early on that silence was rewarded, questioning was dangerous, and obedience was seen as strength.
For a long time, I didn’t push back. I followed the path that was laid out, not because it felt right, but because it felt like the only option. And when you grow up inside a system that defines every part of your life, the idea of doing something different doesn’t feel bold. It feels impossible.
But something in me never stopped stirring. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t rebellious. It was a quiet knowing that there had to be more. Not just more freedom, but more meaning. More truth. More alignment.
That knowing grew stronger over time. It followed me into adulthood, into marriage, into motherhood. And eventually, it led to a moment that changed everything. My husband and I packed our four kids into a minivan in the middle of the night and drove away from the only life we had ever known. We had no savings, no backup plan, and no idea what would come next. We just knew we couldn’t stay.
People like to call that bravery, but it didn’t feel brave at the time. It felt like waking up. Like finally choosing to stop handing my life over to a system that didn’t see me. Like picking up the pen and writing something new. What followed was hard. We had to rebuild everything—our beliefs, our marriage, our finances, our sense of safety. I enrolled in college while raising four babies. We started a business from the ground up. I learned to lead, to trust myself, to make decisions without needing validation. It didn’t happen all at once. But every small choice added up to something bigger. A life that was mine.
Taking the pen back didn’t mean I had all the answers. It meant I stopped pretending I didn’t have the right to ask the questions.
Now, years later, I live a life that feels honest. I run a thriving design-build firm with my husband. We raise our kids in a home filled with intention. I speak, I write, I create. And most importantly, I choose. Every day.
This blog is part of that choice. A space to tell the truth behind the highlight reel. A space to share what it really looks like to rebuild your life—not perfectly, but powerfully. If you’re in a season of questioning, shifting, or becoming, I hope my story helps you feel less alone.
You don’t have to keep living a life that doesn’t feel like yours. You don’t have to wait for someone to hand you permission. You can take the pen back.
And when you do, you’ll realize the story was always yours to write.
– Jasmine
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