I’ll never forget the moment that really brought it home for me — the moment that made everything click. It was my birthday, and I was in the thick of motherhood. Nothing fancy. Just me, my one-year-old, and my four-year-old hanging out at home. I hadn’t expected any gifts — I mean, toddlers aren’t exactly browsing Amazon. So imagine my surprise when my daughter proudly handed me a little rainbow drawing and a seven-dollar rainbow suncatcher she’d picked out with her grandparents the week before. It was like someone flipped a switch inside me, because I was instantly teary-eyed over this sweet, unexpected gesture. It felt so small, yet it hit a part of me I didn’t even realize had been running on empty.
Rainbows have always had a special place in my heart, though I never really thought about why. As a kid, I’d spend hours making rainbow bead necklaces and stringing up colorful yarn bracelets. My notebooks were covered in rainbow doodles. Looking back, it’s almost funny how obvious it was: rainbows were quietly weaving themselves into my life long before I ever attached meaning to them. That birthday moment made me see it all differently. I had been manifesting rainbows this whole time — whether it was coloring with my kids, dressing them in rainbow outfits, or simply noticing them pop up in the most random places.
Manifestation used to feel a little too out-there for me, like something reserved for people with crystals in every corner of their house. But that day, it all clicked in a very real, grounded way. I loved rainbows, and because I naturally put that love out into the world, they kept showing up for me. From the rainbow artwork plastering my fridge to the rainbow planter my husband gifted me, to actual rainbows appearing on days I desperately needed a sign, it felt like the universe was tossing little bits of colorful confetti into my life.
So I leaned in. I started wearing rainbow sweatshirts, got a rainbow phone case, and basically turned into a walking rainbow vibe. And guess what? The more I embraced it, the more rainbows showed up. Friends brought me rainbow trinkets without even knowing why, my son randomly started drawing rainbows, and even my phone apps ended up organized in rainbow order. None of this was forced. It all unfolded naturally, like a colorful domino effect.
That’s when I realized something important: manifestation isn’t always some mystical, complicated practice. Sometimes it’s as simple as noticing what makes you genuinely happy and allowing it to take up space in your life. You put out what you love, and the universe responds in ways that feel personal, almost intimate, like it’s saying, I see you. Keep going.
For moms especially, the days can feel so full of responsibility that we forget we’re allowed to have little obsessions and quirks that belong just to us. But reconnecting to what lights you up — even the small things — creates energy that your kids feel too. They thrive when they see you enjoying life. Whether you’re into astrology, plants, knitting, or have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to Taylor Swift outfits, these tiny passions bring color back into your world. And when your kids join in? Their creativity blooms right alongside yours.
If you’re that cat lady, go ahead and be the cat lady. Lean all the way in. Wear the ridiculous cat purse. Put the cat screensaver on your phone. The world has a funny way of meeting you in your joy. Someone will end up offering you a kitten before you can even think about adopting one. That’s how it works. When we put our authentic selves out there, the universe meets us right where we are.
And when we dive into our passions wholeheartedly, something subtle but powerful happens: we get our sparkle back. Not the forced kind of sparkle that comes from pretending everything is perfect, but the real kind that bubbles up from a place of joy, playfulness, and truth. And the best part? That sparkle spreads to everyone around us.
So go ahead, follow what lights you up and watch your sparkle grow brighter than ever.