A Message From the Women Who Came Before Us
Photo of my beautiful grandparents
As many of you know, I spent the holidays and early January in India—a place deeply woven into my roots. It had been 11 years since I last visited the country where both my parents were born, where my family comes from, and where I spent many childhood holidays, building memories with my cousins and grandparents.
The last time I was in India, I was 37. It wasn’t a joyful trip—it was more of an escape. My husband had been battling serious medical issues for many years, and as his condition worsened, so did my sense of despair. My mom urged me to come with her to India, so I took a brief 10-day reprieve, knowing it was temporary. Just over a year later, he passed away.
Returning this time—with my daughter (whom I couldn’t have imagined back then), my sister, mother, niece, and brother-in-law—felt like a profound gift.
The contrast between then and now struck me deeply. I was in awe of how much my life had changed, filled with immense gratitude, but also a quiet strength. I had led myself to this place, step by step, through all the uncertainty and loss. And now, I felt ready—ready to return to India with an open heart, to receive all the gifts it had for me.
And there were so many. But four, in particular, stood out. Over the next four weeks, I’ll share each of them with you.
✨ In Her Footsteps: Lessons from Our Grandmothers
A few weeks before my trip to India, I was invited to attend a group reading with a medium. She told me my grandmother was trying to communicate with me. (I know I may have already lost half of you—while the other half are all in! 😅)
My approach to life is to remain open (heart and mind), so I was. I believe that regardless of what I hear, whether it feels “believable” or not, there is something in it for me. I trust that I am always being guided. This medium had no idea that I was heading to India, to the place where I spent the most time with my grandmother, in just a few short weeks.
Fast forward to India, and as soon as I landed in the city where I’d spent the most time with my grandmother, she was at the forefront of my mind.
I asked my mom so many questions—about her early life, her personality, and what she went through. I looked at old photos, of my grandmother and grandfather as newlyweds, of my grandmother with my mom, and with me. My grandmother had a BA and spoke excellent English, which was rare in those days. But despite her education, doing any kind of work outside the home was never an option. It's easy to look back and see that as just the way things were, but what hit me was, she didn't have a choice.
Although though she and my grandfather had a love marriage (also uncommon at the time), her life revolved around cooking, raising kids, and running the home. He would accompany her to pick out saris (not necessarily a custom back then, but he enjoyed doing it), and while she could attend women's circles, she always had to be home in time to make his tea.
I don’t share this to minimize her life (or my grandfather’s—he was wonderful!), but the truth is, her freedom was very limited. She didn't have the freedom to choose how she spent her time, where to invest her energy, who she spent time with, where she went.
And really, it wasn't that long ago that this was the experience for most women (in some parts of the world, it sadly still is).
Earlier this year, in a Supernova session, I asked the women to reflect on their grandmothers:
✨ What were their life circumstances?
✨ What freedoms did they have (or lack)?
✨ How have their experiences shaped your beliefs today?
Less than 75 years ago, my grandmother couldn’t even choose her own clothes.
Many of our grandmothers were in survival mode.
Our mothers started exploring freedom.
Now it’s up to us—how will we move things forward for ourselves and the next generations?
Let’s honour their journeys while being intentional about what we leave behind and where we’re headed.
Would your grandmother not be amazed by the choices you have today? 💫