What Bloomed During One of the Hardest Years of My Life
2025 was an amazing year.
If you knew everything I've been through, you might think I was crazy for saying that.
I won't go into every detail, but I experienced my second recurrence of thyroid cancer, underwent my fourth surgery on my neck, endured invasive dental procedures in preparation for radiation, and completed six weeks of external beam radiation.
The radiation was tough, but I'm tougher.
I'm still healing. I'm still living. And I came out on the other side feeling more alive than ever.
What carried me through was the love and support of incredible women who showed up for me with generosity, encouragement, and sacrifice. I will never forget it.
I also walked this path as a postmenopausal woman. Instead of shrinking during one of the most difficult seasons of my life or asking, "Why me?", I chose to lean in. I enrolled in a six-month herbalist apprenticeship and spent countless hours talking with women about perimenopause and menopause—the challenges, the changes, and the wisdom that can emerge during this stage of life.
Those conversations sparked an idea.
Women moving through this transition need more support, more representation, and more reminders that they are not alone.
That idea became Bloom & Blaze.
I created a 44-card affirmation deck designed specifically for women in midlife. Each card acknowledges a real experience many women face, offers an affirmation, and introduces an herbal ally that has traditionally supported women through times of transition.
One of the gifts of midlife is what I call a creative reawakening. It doesn't always arrive during our happiest seasons. Sometimes it emerges from the messy, uncertain, heartbreaking, and transformational moments that ask us to become someone new.
Bloom & Blaze was born during one of those moments.
So if life feels a little too heavy right now, don't give up. Sometimes our greatest creations, deepest wisdom, and most meaningful contributions emerge from the seasons that challenge us the most.
Let my story be a reminder that something beautiful can bloom even in the midst of difficulty.
Today, as I package and ship decks to women across the country, I am reminded that healing and creating are often part of the same journey.
With love,
Dina
P.S. If you'd like to learn more about the Bloom & Blaze Affirmation Deck, you can visit the shop here: https://www.bloom-and-blaze.com/affirmationdeck
