Thank You, God, for What Didn’t Happen 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, I found myself thinking about something different on the way to work one morning. Instead of listing all the things that happened this year, my heart went straight to gratitude for what didn’t. Because sometimes the biggest blessings don’t arrive loudly.They come quietly.They come uneventful.They come as peace. ✨ […]
✨ “The Truth I Never Said Out Loud” ✨
(Story-time with your girl, BrandiJ) Let me go ahead and pull y’all in real close… because today? Yeah, I’m sharing something I never thought I’d say out loud. Not because it was messy, not because it was secret, but because it was mine. One of those grown-woman decisions you tuck deep in your pocket and […]
The Silent Battles of the Strong Friend
There came a morning not long ago when I walked out my room on my way to work, glanced back at my bed, and noticed it still wasn’t made. For some people, that might not mean much. But for me? 💭 That was a silent alarm. I am the “model home” friend—the one who keeps […]
Mother & Daughter Cruise 2.0: Choosing Peace, Freedom & Fun
This will be the second cruise for me and MaKenzye, and it’s already become something I want us to keep as a tradition. Once a year, just me and her—our own mother & daughter trip. Last year we had an amazing time, and now here we are again, bags (almost) packed and ready for round two. […]
The Last Time I’ll Love Like This
Because I’m in the Last Quarter of Life, and I’m Done Settling By BrandiJ If I’m being honest, this season of life feels heavier than I expected—but it also feels sacred. I’m almost 49. That means I’ve got more days behind me than I do ahead, and baby, if that don’t make you stop and […]
Legacy, Love & Letting It Sink In
By BrandiJ A few weeks ago, I took a trip to Ohio with my parents—Mama is 81 and Daddy is 86—and it was one of those moments that hit different. I was the one behind the wheel 🚗, grateful not just to be able to drive them, but to still have them here with me […]
About the Woman I’m Becoming
About the Woman I’m Becoming I really enjoyed starting my blog journey by honoring my big brother Billy. That first post was raw, real, and necessary. But as this journey continues—through healing, growth, and everything in between—I felt like it was time to pause and take a closer look at me. Not the parts that […]
💌 A Letter to Billy: Five Years Later Published on May 21, 2025 By Brandi Johnson (BrandiJ)
Dear Billy, Unreal. Five whole years. Five long, hard, life-altering years without your voice. Without fussing about your eczema flakes on the bathroom sink—Lord, that used to drive me crazy! 😅 But if I had you back, I promise, I’d never fuss again. I’d cherish every little thing. This morning, I woke up with the […]