Yesterday, over coffee with a new friend, I had an epiphany.

He drew a little square on the table with his finger.

A box.

And suddenly the message became so clear:

I can only control what is inside my box. Everything outside of it isn’t mine to control.

My choices. My reactions. My boundaries. My peace. My love. My son. My animals. My home. My dreams. The people I choose to let close to my heart.

Those belong inside my box.

We talked a little about the past, and I realized I don’t really like talking about my past anymore. Not because I’m running from it. I’ve already lived it.

Sometimes talking about it feels like kicking up dirt on a road I’ve already traveled.

Of course, when you’re getting to know someone, you share enough of your story for them to understand who you are. But I’m learning there is a science to it. You don’t have to give someone every chapter for them to understand the woman standing in front of them today.

And then I said something out loud that surprised even me:

Marriage should never feel like a business operation.

I want to marry because I’m deeply in love. Because I genuinely want to spend my life with someone. Because being together feels peaceful, safe, fun and natural.

Yesterday morning, I did something else unexpected.

I put on my wedding gown.

The dress I picked up thinking I was going to get married, only to eventually hang it in my closet.

I hadn’t tried it on since.

It fit.

And I wasn’t sad.

I actually smiled.

I kept thinking about Cinderella and the glass slipper. The prince went searching for the person it belonged to.

Maybe I don’t need to squeeze anyone into a role simply because I already have the dress.

I can wait for the person who fits naturally into my life.

For the last month and a half, I’ve been focused on falling deeply in love with someone else first:

Me.

Later that day, the breeze was blowing through my hair. I saw a rainbow before treating myself to a massage, and I felt incredibly vulnerable.

And then another realization arrived:

There is nothing I can do, say, achieve or become that determines whether I’m worthy of love.

I don’t need to become perfect.

I want to love myself as is.

I want peace.

Because when I’m peaceful, I make good decisions.

When I’m peaceful, I love deeply.

When I’m peaceful, I can hear myself.

So what would The Flower Doctor prescribe for a girl who wants to fall deeply in love with herself, with life, and with the beautiful unknown?

🌹 FLOWER RX: RED ROSES + LEMON LEAF + LEATHER FERN

Red Roses: Deep love. Passion. The reminder that the greatest love affair can begin within.

Lemon Leaf: Fresh energy, resilience and the courage to keep growing into a new chapter.

Leather Fern: Strength, protection and grounding as you step confidently into what you cannot yet see.

Prescription: Keep them somewhere you will see them every day. When you look at them, ask yourself:

Is this inside my box or outside of it?

If it’s outside, release it.

If it’s inside, tend to it with love.

I’m not chasing what’s next.

I’m taking care of my little square, falling in love with the life already inside it, and leaving enough room for the unknown to surprise me.

And maybe someday I’ll take that wedding gown out of the closet again.

But this time, I’ll wear it for a love that feels like peace.

Flower Rx: Fall deeply in love with yourself first. Then let life surprise you.