EBB AND FLOW

It's the summer solstice, a time when those of ancient times celebrated the turning of the sun. And the sun still turns as we live our lives, whether they be on track, messy or finding their way.

Reaching this time, as we approach midsummer, is for me part relief, part frustration and a glimmer of hope. I love the sunshine, and here this week in York the sun has been shining. In England, this can feel like chasing a fleeting moment, never quite sure when you will see it again and for how long.

My dad had surgery this week and it's been a reminder of how quickly priorities shift when family needs you. The relief that it went well. The frustration of everything else that had to wait. And somewhere in the middle of it all, a glimmer of hope that things are moving forward.

As a solo woman these situations often become entangled within your life structure. To many they are a process, part of life that comes naturally. But for a solo woman it can be a mountain that has to be scaled, affecting daily routines and putting life itself on hold.

Many solo women are also professionals, business owners or carrying significant responsibility at work, which makes situations like this even harder to navigate. Research shows that women are statistically more likely to take on caring responsibilities for ageing parents or relatives, often while juggling careers and running households entirely alone. The mental load this creates is rarely visible to those around us, yet it shapes so much of how we move through our days.

What are you carrying right now that nobody else can see? Or maybe they can see, but only you can carry the weight?

The Solo Woman Community hears this, feels this and is this. Every battle won, every underestimation that made us stronger.

Being a woman who is solo in life, business or anything in between shouldn't be about survival but about what they bring to the table. And that's a lot.