A Wren Says

I have this tiny vial of Vanilla 28 from Kayali. Even though I hated it on first spray I decided to keep it for a particular reason: I hoped that it would get better with time. Or rather I discovered that it did. This is the fragrance that I continue to give another chance.

Even though it disappointed me, I had reason believe that that wasn’t its true self. I had reason to believe that it could live up to all that everyone else said that it could be. So now, three years later, I want to see what it can do. And you know what, I like it now. The soft vanilla is there. It’s a dreamy fragrance that is more understandably hyped, even if I still believe it might be overhyped.

As I write this final fragrance post for 2025, this is about more than fragrance now. It’s about the need to give space for development.

Just as the ingredients in the fragrance had to continue to develop, I need to allow myself to grow and develop before I pass final judgement. I can so easily come to a conclusion about how I’m unfit to do a thing, when instead I should pause to consider, “Maybe I just need more time.” Maybe I’m not as fit or strong as I would like to be right now. Maybe I am not as organized or productive. Maybe I’m not where I want to be in my career. All of those things take time. It’s not that they will never happen. Not right now doesn’t mean not ever.

As I enter into 2026, I need to take that mindset. Who knows what I might become when I finally start giving myself time instead of giving up?