“Wings, Reality, and Sunset Dreams” 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

It took me a long time to feel comfortable in my skin. Honestly? Just six years ago, I was and I still am figuring out who I am, what I value, and how I want to move through the world. 🌎 When you're only just beginning to understand yourself truly, it’s hard to map 🗺️ out a future with confidence, I still don't know. That's ok! How can you know what you want when you’ve only just met the real you?

Add in the complexity of living with a disability, relying on others in a world that often wasn’t built with you in mind, and the uncertainty only grows. 🌻But here’s the thing: even with all that, I love my life. 💕

Several months ago, someone asked me, “What’s your dream life?” And y’all… that is such a loaded question. Because the truth is, I don’t just have one dream life. I’ve got a whole collection of them. In fantasy land, the possibilities are endless, aren’t they? One version of me is selling million-dollar homes in California with a killer view and a killer wardrobe. Another version is barefoot in the kitchen, happily married with six sweet (and probably chaotic) kids. Then there’s the corporate boss babe version, power suit, corner office, and making moves. The list goes on. And honestly? I love them all. Why settle for one dream when your imagination’s got range?

🌅I love chasing sunsets. I love finding joy in the ordinary. I love choosing growth over comfort and faith over fear. ✝️ My wings might look different from yours, but don’t get it twisted, they’ll never be clipped. I’m flying, even if I’m not always sure where I’ll land.🪽

LONG HIGHWAY LEADING TO SUNSET

Now, let’s talk dreams. 💭 I’m not taking a backseat 🚙 to anyone whose dreams aren’t rooted in reality. I’m not the girl who follows blindly, who sacrifices her own clarity for someone else’s ungrounded version of success. I know who I am, and I’m not dimming my light 🕯️just to make someone else feel comfortable.

As people with disabilities, we have to live in reality. That doesn’t mean we don’t dream. Oh, we dream, but we do it with wisdom. With awareness. With strength that’s been earned💪. 🦋 Our dreams have wings, yes, but they also have roots. 🌱 That’s what makes them last.

I’ll be honest: in twenty years, I might regret not getting married. 💍 I might wonder what it would’ve felt like to come home to someone, to build a family, to be someone’s person. But I also know this: I’d regret giving up my dreams and goals more. I’d regret losing myself in the pursuit of someone else’s idea of happiness. I’d regret shrinking to fit into a box. 📦

I’d rather have a life full of honest choices than hollow ones made out of fear or pressure.

I’m Leslie, Leslie Kate, the boss babe with big dreams. I’m Laylay, the loud, loving, slightly chaotic aunt who would go to war for her kids and spoils with snacks and toys. And I’m LK, the brand, the voice, the movement. I’m all of her and none of her, depending on the day. And you know what? I’m more than okay with that. Because no matter what path I take or what dream I chase, the one thing I’ll always be unapologetically is me. That’s not just enough… that’s everything.

So here’s to bold beginnings. To not settle. To dream smart. To love fiercely. 💕To chasing every sunset like it was painted just for me. 🌅My path might not be traditional, but it’s mine. And that makes it beautiful. 🦋

Because a sunset means the day has ended, but the memories remain. 🥹🌅💕