Welcome to a space where I’m making sense of the past, exploring what’s next, and reflecting on the parts of life that shape who I am. From career changes and personal growth to musings on motherhood and everything in between, this is where I share the moments that matter—and the lessons I’m learning along the way.

Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Just Give It Time

Puberty was supposed to be inevitable, but for me, it never arrived. I waited. I pretended. I borrowed symptoms, stole complaints, and built a version of myself that could pass as normal. But the truth lurked beneath it all, unspoken, undeniable.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Grief in One Hand, Gratitude in the Other

I signed my divorce papers. So what do you do with twenty-five years you can’t get back? How do you hold both the grief and the relief? I found my answer in the one thing I never let go of—the dream that led me to my son.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Last Day of Our Acquaintance

This is the last day of our acquaintance. I will meet you later in somebody's office. I'll talk, but you won't listen to me. I know what your answer will be.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

The Weight of Loneliness

Loneliness has been my constant companion, hidden behind the roles I played and the love I gave, hoping to be seen. Now, without distractions, I face the void and the lifelong belief that I’m not worthy of the kind of love that stays.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

The Gold in the Cracks

Like kintsugi, I tried to fill the cracks in my marriage with love and tradition, hoping to repair what was broken. But some cracks can’t be mended, and letting go has taught me to honor the story they tell, even as I piece myself back together.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

The Heavy Lifting

In the past year, I’ve lost my job, my marriage, and the home I’ve lived in for over a decade. Letting go isn’t a single act—it’s a process. And while I don’t have all the answers yet, I’m starting to feel ready to see what comes next.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Faith, Identity, and Revelation

Watching Conclave, I found myself transported back to my Confirmation day, steeped in the rituals and questions of my Catholic upbringing and the search for faith in adulthood.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Mr. Thirteen

As my son steps into his teenage years, I find myself on my own journey toward independence—letting go of the past, of old expectations, and maybe even of the idea that life has to be loud and full to be meaningful. This birthday is more than a milestone for him; it’s a turning point for both of us.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Am I An Outsider?

For most of my life, I believed I was on the outside looking in, thinking I was somehow missing an essential part of womanhood. But today, listening to We Can Do Hard Things, I realized I might be more ‘normal’ than I thought.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Where Shame Begins

I knew I was different long before I understood why. As everyone around me changed, I stayed the same—and that’s when the shame took root.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Why I’m Really Doing This

At this point in my life, I’m ready to acknowledge and accept myself as I truly am. But to do that, I need to tell my story to myself first—unraveling the parts I’ve hidden, even from me. It’s time to let go of the shame that’s held me back.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Good Catholic Kids

On this, my parent’s wedding anniversary, I’m left with a mix of contemplation, sadness, and love. These are the roots I’ve come from—the ones that still shape me as I try to make sense of my own story, my unwritten self.

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Carol Tiernan Carol Tiernan

Midlife and the Unwritten Self

Lately, I’ve been standing at the edge of something new. There’s a shift in the air, something I can feel in my bones, though I can’t quite name it yet. It’s a time in my life that feels both mystifying and inevitable—a point where the past no longer holds, and the future is still unwritten.

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