The Soundtrack of Strength, Love, and Light

Taylor Swift did it again. Her new album dropped, and like so many, I was ready for it. I didn’t stay up until midnight like my daughter predicted (though she knows me well!). Instead, I went to bed early, set Alexa to play before I was even out of bed, and greeted the morning with Taylor’s words wrapping around me. By 4:30 a.m., the music was already working its way into my bones.

I’ve listened three full times already, and I’m obsessed. “Honey” has my heart—it’s my absolute favorite. “Wood” carries its own haunting beauty. “Wi$h Li$t” is so clever, and “CANCELLED” hit me hard with that line about shattered glass. I recently wrote about how beauty shines through shattered glass, and she takes it one step further: shattered glass isn’t just beautiful, it’s sharp. That kind of lyrical genius floors me. Then there’s “Eldest Daughter”—so breathtaking, raw, structured, and sexy, like only she can do.

And oh my—“The Fate of Ophelia.” Magnificent. Epic. A song that feels like poetry wrapped in music, each note heavy with meaning. And “Opalite”? That’s not just a song, it’s the theme song for life now—sparkling, timeless, and so incredibly moving.

Not every track is a “dance in the kitchen” song, so maybe I won’t be shaking my booty to them with my favorite little dance partner—my granddaughter—but this is an album I’ll be replaying over and over. And the remix of “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”? Pure genius.

But more than just songs, Taylor’s music reminds me of something bigger: the beauty of finding your own love story, writing it, and living it unapologetically.

A Honey Note for My Granddaughter

Someday you’ll read these words, and I hope you’ll already know what I’m about to say. You are beautiful, brilliant, and one-of-a-kind. Don’t ever dim your light to fit in. Be loud, be bold, and live unapologetically. You are the prize, and you deserve to be chosen fully—by friends, by partners, by anyone lucky enough to be in your life.

If someone doesn’t see that, don’t waste your time. There will be someone who notices you first and says to himself, “Her—I want to know her, I want to show her what it feels like to be fully chosen.” And when that happens, you’ll know what real love feels like.

Until then, hold your worth close. Learn as much as you can. Be a flirt if you want, embrace your beauty and your spark—but never give your body or your heart away until you’re sure a man has chosen you fully. Love yourself first. The deeper your love for yourself, the brighter your confidence will shine, and no one can take that from you.

Your uniqueness makes you amazing. Never hide it.

Why I Celebrate

This album, like so many of Taylor’s, is about being fully alive—raw and real, messy and magnificent. And that’s what I hope to pass on to my granddaughter: to see beauty in herself, to know her worth, to live wide open, and to celebrate love, brains, youth, and the brilliance of being exactly who she is.

Because life is too short not to dance, sing, and live out loud.

💛🐝

Honey

PS: Now I’m off to finish packing and head to the airport for my flight to Atlanta. My daughter keeps telling everyone how cool I think I am taking MARTA now that I’ve been to Europe. 😂 According to her, I’m so “worldly” that I insist on taking MARTA from the airport to Brookhaven instead of letting them pick me up. And yes—come Monday—I’ll be proudly taking MARTA back to the airport too. Honestly, it’s just so easy… and I’m ridiculously proud of my BREEZE card, which I keep tucked right next to my Paris Metro card. Lol.