Nine Years Without Her Physical Presence - An ode to my Mama

Today is nine years since my mother left this world and began her journey beyond the physical. The anniversary of her passing is always a day full of complex emotions - an emptiness that’s both profound and ever-shifting. But it’s also a time to reflect on what it means to truly live, age, and be present in the body we’ve been gifted.  

My mother was a beautiful woman, but ageing was something she fought against tooth and nail. Like so many others, she felt that her beauty was tied to her youth, and as the years passed, she saw herself fading away, becoming invisible. The sting of low self-worth, her family estrangement, unresolved self-criticism, and the challenges of undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia never really healed. As a child, I saw her struggling, I could see the constant criticism when she looked at herself and it left a mark - a deep knowing that self-love must be fiercely reclaimed in a world that often makes it feel out of reach and that we’re not good enough unless we look a certain way, erase any sign of ageing and we certainly aren’t celebrated for embracing our differences. 

When I first became a mother, I realised that the eyes of the next generation are always watching us. My daughter’s innocent gaze watching my every move showed me what I needed to change, to heal. I knew then that I couldn’t pass on the patterns I’d inherited—the shame around aging, the misplaced belief that we lose our value over time. I knew I had to make peace with the parts of myself that felt broken or bruised. I had to embrace myself, in all my perfect imperfection, so that she could grow up seeing a woman who was whole, radiant, and unapologetically vibrant.  

In shamanic tradition, when an elder transitions, their spirit doesn’t vanish - it transforms. The energy of who they are becomes part of the Earth, the wind, the stars. In the words of Dr. Zac Bush, life is an ongoing evolution, an eternal transformation that asks us to grow, expand, and break free of the limitations that once held us. And so, even though she’s no longer physically here, her energy, her unresolved pain, and even her beauty continue to weave through my life and my work. Her soul’s journey may be complete in this form, but her story, her lessons, and her struggles are an invitation for me - and for anyone who feels a similar loss - to transform our lives from a place of love and awareness.

I carry her legacy not just as a memory but as a reminder of why I do the work I do. Her absence made me realise the value of health and vitality, not just as a personal goal but as a gift for future generations. My commitment to health and longevity is more than just wanting to be well - it’s a way of ensuring that the cycle of self-doubt, fear of aging, and invisibility ends with me. I want my children, my future grandchildren, and every person I touch through my work to know that beauty and value are not defined by time. They are felt from the heart, nourished by love, and reflected back in every laugh line, every silver hair, every moment of joy - although to be honest I’m unlikely to ever enjoy having grey hair - and I don’t need to either. We get to choose. 

SkinGlow Alchemy is not simply a skincare range - it’s a love letter to every woman who has ever felt she was less than enough. It’s a reminder that our greatest beauty comes when we allow ourselves to feel into our heart space, when we stop chasing perfection and instead embrace the luminous presence that flows from within. The skin practices I share aren’t just about looking better—they are about radiating the essence of who you truly are, trusting your body’s own wisdom, and celebrating yourself at every stage of life.

The products, the rituals, the teachings—they’re all from my desire to help you reconnect with yourself, to feel deeply into your own worthiness, and to let that sense of love and self-acceptance radiate outwards. 

Because within our hearts, we are love. When we live with love, we become luminous. And it’s this light that attracts beauty into our lives and allows us to become visible once more - to ourselves and to the world around us. To simply be seen truly as we are in the world and feel confident doing so. 

Today I honour my mother’s spirit and all the women who have ever felt the pain of becoming or feeling invisible. I see you. I celebrate you. And I hold space for your own journey back to your heart, back to your radiance. Together, we can turn the pain of loss into a powerful reclamation of love and life.

May we all find the courage to heal what’s been broken, to love what’s been bruised, and to embrace the journey of becoming luminous beings - inside and out.