Hi, I'm Emilia Isabelle

Showing Up to the “Little Big” Things

CONGRATULATIONS and welcome, you’ve made it to your thirties!

This is where everyone’s either buying a house, having a baby, getting married, or posting about all three with a picture of a sponsored guide dog on their fridge in their beautiful newly built kitchen on their Instagram. It’s fabulous. It’s wholesome. It’s also starting to feel like if you haven’t hosted a gender reveal or signed up to a mortgage app, you’re somehow doing life wrong which can make you feel like sh*t, even if you’re happy for everyone else. (This is completely normal, by the way, and I’ll get onto this another time, but in the meantime, trust the timing of your life!)

I’m here to tell you that not every milestone has to come with a party theme for it to be worth showing up for.

There are things that society makes us think are small (but are actually huge) wins- like your friend who finally signed up for that local art class after years of “maybe next term.” Or the one who’s doing a charity 5k even though she considers running a bath an extreme sport. Or the mum from school who has finally launched their side hustle making eco-friendly beauty products. It might even be your friend who finally left their asshole boyfriend and has finally learnt to be alone!

I, myself, recently signed up for a charity hike up Snowdon- because nothing says “I need a life reset” like paying to walk up a massive hill in unpredictable UK weather. Pray for me because I have never hiked a mountain in my life. But seriously, when people started donating to support me? I felt SEEN. Like, wow- you believe I can hike? You trust me not to require the mountain rescue squad? You’re literally putting money on it? And for a charity I believe in?

That support means everything. Every  donation, no matter the amount, has given me the boost of confidence and recognition I needed. It’s the showing up when someone doesn’t need to, but they choose to!

You make be thinking, “Emilia, why does it matter to you?” and the response is here: because to be loved is to be seen. And being seen isn’t just about turning up with a gift when someone gets engaged or throws a gender reveal where the cake explodes pink and there are pink canons blowing out smoke. It’s about the quieter stuff too- the “I finally got out of bed and went to therapy” victories. The “I’m learning Greek on Duolingo and haven’t missed a day” triumphs (I’m on day 96 now in case you’re wondering). The “I posted my art on Instagram and didn’t delete it 4 minutes later” braveries, one of my friends recently started sharing her artwork, and my God, am I so proud of her.

So see this as your reminder that the next time your friend launches a new business and shyly asks if you could share it on your Insta story? Just do it. It takes 3 seconds, and it tells them, I see you. I’m cheering you on.

Next time your friend invites you to their open mic night even though you’d rather eat snacks in bed and watch a romcom? Go.

Because one day, it’ll be you taking a brave little step, and you’ll remember the people who clapped and showed up- even when the moment didn’t have a party poppers or a custom balloon arch.

Big life events matter.
But so do the little ones.
Especially when they take big courage.

So let’s raise a toast to showing up- for the hikes, the 5ks, the Etsy shops, the local open mics, the nervous “I started a blog” announcements.

Life isn’t only about the milestones. It’s about the people walking through them with you and cheering in the sidelines.