If This World Were Mine

Winter Comforts You’ll Love

If this world were mine, Valentine’s Day would be every day. We deserve to live in it. But I know what you’re thinking — slow down, we’re still in a winter storm. We are still wishing each other Happy New Year. We haven’t even made it through January yet, but here we are, sent back inside by the weather, reminded to pause, to hibernate, to sit with ourselves a little longer than planned.

Although I was ready to warm up for a night on the town, the weather had other plans. The snow actually stuck here in Texas. I rewatched Girlfriends, which feels like the perfect comfort show to return to as I get closer to turning 33!! I feel so much closer to the characters now than when I first watched it.

There’s something about watching these women my age — living, dating, falling in love, trying again — that mirrors where so many of us are now. In season three, episode fifteen, Joan says, “Instead of us fussing over men, I decided to put the focus on those who give me love throughout the year — my girls.” When Toni asks, “What did Ellis do now?” Joan replies, “Nothing. And that’s a good thing. Men don’t always know how to properly celebrate the day.”

I told my best friend that I’m adjusting to this season of singleness. She told me I’m simply decorating myself. I’m learning to trust that each season is worth the investment, that every season deserves care. As Sivona writes in How to Love Being Single, “Being single is about learning, exploring, and learning again. It’s a time where you can go on two dates in one weekend, get to know someone new, or decide you don’t want to be bothered at all.”

I do enjoy dating, but I also don’t. I enjoy getting lost in long conversations, the fancy dinners, and the fun experiences. I love having someone who has a mind to fix things. I love the friendship that can grow from it. I keep saying this is the year that I meet my husband, and maybe it is, but I also really enjoy my solitude. This solitude sticks to the ground like snow. It slows everything down just enough to give me more time with myself.

This winter storm can become our comfort zone. It can turn into the space where we feel free enough to actually take care of ourselves, to say no to the world, to choose what we want 2026 to look like, to catch up with our girlfriends. Sometimes those butterflies we feel aren’t always anxiety. They’re excitement. Anticipation. The possibility of so much good walking into our lives.

If this world were mine, we wouldn’t rush love. We wouldn’t shame desire. We wouldn’t pretend that wanting partnership cancels out independence. We would let life unfold at its own pace and trust that what’s meant for us knows how to find us.

Watching Girlfriends reminds me how important it is to have women around you who feel like home. Joan was sometimes controlling, but she held her friends together, and even with a busy schedule, she knew how to show up. Toni was confident, sharp, and honest; her standards felt high, but she taught us to never settle. Maya was grounded, smart, and always reminded us to speak our truth. Lynn was free, embracing her chaos and flaws in a way that taught us to let go and find joy in imperfection. They sometimes joked about what they wanted in a partner — ambition, humor, and yes, sometimes deep pockets — but always with a wink. They fell in and out of love, tried therapy, started businesses, stood up for themselves, and through it all, they always had each other. They never really looked like what they were going through, but they always gathered around a table over drinks and talked about it.

Watching these women, I wish they fixed themselves less. I wish they trusted who they already were. I think that’s what we’re learning now, without even noticing — not how to perfect ourselves, but how to live with care. To let love take its time. To enjoy the days that don’t come with a reason to celebrate.

I do believe in the power of the single season. I love my solitude, but I also love having the right people around. I would love to have the right person in my life — someone who can be a mirror. As I turn 33 in a few weeks, I’m excited to walk into this year. When I pause the episode, I return to a real life that I love — a life with seasons, a life worth exploring.

Looking back, if I could tell the women on Girlfriends anything, it would be this: stop fixing yourselves. I believe that once we master that, we become the masters of our own lives — women who let life take its time. I’m excited to walk into this year, not trying to let life catch up, but letting life meet me where I am, letting the world catch up to me. Watching what grows when I finally give myself the time and care to be free and bloom, to fully enjoy the process of decorating myself.

Not only are we revisiting timeless stories from our archives — like Sivona’s reflections on being single — but we’re also introducing some sweet new delights! Kali’s Kookies and Kream Kupcakes are here to make your day a little sweeter, and Cay’s Strawberry Margarita recipe is one you’ll want to sip while watching the snow fall.

All illustrations by Kayla Salisbury.