Weaving in the Quiet | Legacy, Queens, and Futures we can be Proud of
As I have taken a more zoomed out view of past, present, and future in 2025, walks around the local cemetery remind me that our time here is fleeting, and the importance of living with intention.
Well, we made it. 2025 is coming to a close, and for many in my circles, this has been a confronting year. Health issues, relationship endings, career pathways closing. All inviting a new level of surrender to dissolution, without a lot of clarity on what might be on the other side. Do we double down on what we know, or is life steering us in an entirely new direction?
With the amount of shifts and changes this year, many of us found ourselves in our fight, flight, freeze mode, and discussions about “having a well-regulated nervous system” seemed both aspirational and necessary to navigate through the chaos. And through it all, my sense of optimism still felt weirdly alive, wondering, what might be possible when it all feels like it is falling apart?
In the midst of all of this, I attempted to find my own sense of rooting and grounding, but not totally sure what that means to me at this point in my life, especially after allowing myself to be so physically unanchored in recent years. The sense of security most humans desire can feel like a trap for me, who wants to be “magic in motion.” Additionally, finding solid ground feels increasingly inaccessible for most of us, in the era of BANI.
So, my first attempt at rooting was to head to South Africa in April - why not start with a place I knew I enjoyed? While I was there, I thought, “this can work,” paying more attention to my head, than my heart. I enjoyed ample nature, multiculturalism, vibrancy, and communities of interest (writing, spiritual, outdoors, etc.). It proved to be a nice base to started building and engaging the global networks I wanted to affiliate myself with in my next work chapter, hoping to form alliances, and partnerships that felt both expansive and grounding. And then, as my 90-day visa window came to a close, I was faced with the choice of finding a way to stay or leave. Somewhere in my spirit, I could tell my time in South Africa was only a bridge, not a home.
So, I followed where life was leading me next. A trip to Rwanda to support a delegation visit from Montana State University to explore partnerships around an interdisciplinary and innovative global health program. Shortly after, I returned to the US, to respond to the call of aging parents. My Mom had been having increasing health issues, and it was time for our family to accept some shifting dynamics, and activate a larger support system. I knew this was where my leadership needed to be channeled, for the time being.
During our visit to Rwanda with Montana State University, we had the pleasure of brainstorming paths for partnership with Mass Design, a architecture firm that puts people at the centre of design, while leveraging local materials. One of their areas of focus is designing healthcare facilities to improve childbirth outcomes, fostering stronger babies and mothers.
Returning home revealed an unexpected new lens at which to look at my life decisions for the next chapter. As I spoke to my second cousin while taking in the familiar landscapes of our family retreat in Maine, I could not ignore the call to “legacy” thinking, a chance to zoom out and look at the rich and robust stories of those who came before me, and ensure our life choices were honoring their gifts and sacrifices.
Heading to Maine in August to connect with extended family, and share in traditions that have lasted through generations, supported my legacy lens.
My immediate family had decided to form a foundation, which would allow my brother and I to carry forward their commitment to local community engagement, once their souls moved over to the other side. As we discussed this, I felt the significance of the honor of representing their spirit of generosity, which they had most certainly inherited from previous generations.
I began to wonder whether there was more of a balancing act to the invitation to “live in the present” while also taking a bit of a longer-range view of what I might be building. What would it look like to make choices, where both the past and the future mattered, as well?
With this vantage point, it started to become more clear that I wanted to commit more fully to “creating the new” rather than fixing broken systems. My pioneering spirit was asking to be more intentionally honored and channeled, and liberated from solving more immediate problems. There felt like a strong call to preparing myself and others for the future that has rapidly arrived and will continue to accelerate, beyond our capacity to absorb, digest, and adapt. So, my curiosity started leading me to discovering the Edinburgh Future Institute, The Long Now Foundation, and listening to “The Good Ancestor,” And strangely, as my mind moved forward, a compelling force also started pulling me backwards.
Sharing in our University of Kentucky football tailgate tradition with the next generation. Being adopted by my friend’s kids, has been a sweet addition to 2025.
My curiosity also led me to start studying British royalty and dynasties, looking at how previous leaders navigated ideological shifts, modernizing forces, and the responsibilities of stewardship. My own lineage comes from the British isles, on my Mom and Dad’s side of the family, so understanding the cultural influences of this part of my heritage felt important. And before I knew it, I realized, this was all laying the groundwork for what I am now calling my “Queen Era.”
One defined by sovereign, discerning, deeply intentional leadership. Rooted in inner authority, devotion, and a commitment to building my life and work with precision, clarity, and long-term purpose. This is giving me a focal point for my bow and arrow imagery, shifting from scattering my energy to a more focused effort to embody my own spirit of stewardship. If any of you might be drawn to your own ethical kingdom building, check out this playlist for some inspiration.
It is with this stance that I have decided to support Brink Innovation, a social innovation consultancy based in the UK, with shaping their global partnership strategy for their new innovation lodge launching in Rwanda in 2026. Is gathering champions for climate adaptation, agritech, rural transformation, and place-based innovation in curated spaces that channel the restorative power of nature the exact anecdote that is needed, to help us find our way forward to shaping the futures we want? That is my hope…
I am also re-engaging with the Global Engagement Institute, who has now developed its own portfolio of impact-driven study abroad programs to empower future generations of global change leaders. My involvement will help strengthen their relationships with US university allies who are passionate about sustainable development, global engagement, social innovation, and systems thinking.
My birthday in November proved a great opportunity to invite friends to join me in shared curiosity about the history of Queens who have laid the groundwork for each of our own current reigns.
The tapestry of what we are weaving doesn’t always come into full view when and how we think it might. This year, I stepped back from building so I could see whether a longer-range view or a more integrated path forward might emerge. I am now appreciating that the slow work of reflection and the fast work of innovation are equally essential to my future creations.
And in doing this work, I believe I can be wise and wild, devoted and free, independent and connected, warm and boundaried, global and local. In tending to my own internal bridges, I can also see how I am being prepared to serve more fully as a bridge externally - between regions, disciplines, sectors, generations, and ways of knowing. And the title of “ecosystem architect” feels like an umbrella under which this next professional expression can manifest. Part of the lesson this year is that rooting into who we want to BE, and letting the internal shape the external, is often the best path forward in transitional seasons.
Keep an eye out Europe, I intend to come check you out as a global crossroads that allows me to stay connected to Africa, the US, and emerging networks in future thinking, social innovation, sustainable development, and systems thinking.
Closing the year with hosting an Intergenerational Brunch felt like the perfect way to celebrate the wisdom of those who came before us, and carry the power of these connections to support our 2026 manifestations.
If you’re reading this, you are part of the community that has nurtured, challenged, and shaped my understanding of myself, the world, and the creative path I am carving across this landscape. I’m grateful to be walking this journey alongside you.
And my parting wish for us all… may we each step into 2026 with a renewed sense of stewardship - for our lives, our communities, and the futures we are responsible for shaping.
