What I Know at 43That I Didn’t at 29

This Mother’s Day, our founder shares a deeply personal reflection—on ambition, motherhood, and the moments we don’t get back. What she knows now at 43, she wishes she’d known at 29. A love letter to presence, to pause, and to the beauty found in the everyday.

At 29, I thought I had to prove myself.

That success meant building something the world could see.

That if I just worked harder, pushed more, sacrificed now I’d be free later.

So I chased it. Relentlessly.

A brand. A vision. A dream.

And in many ways I made it come true.

But in the chase, I almost lost her.

The version of me my children longed for.

Who lingered longer.

Who didn’t live by her inbox.

The mother who didn’t just love her children, but lived in the moment with them.

I was always five minutes late to pickup.

Taking work calls in the car when I should’ve been listening to their stories.

Telling myself, “I’ll call Mum back.”

“We’ll take that trip next year.”

Until one day, she was too unwell to travel.

I thought raising good humans was something I’d squeeze in between goals.

Now I know it is the goal.

The most meaningful, thing I’ll ever do. 

There were highs, yes.

But behind the press and progress were missed memories.

Missed moments, missed years.

Late-night tears behind closed doors.

Burnout and back-to-back meetings.

What I know now that I wish I knew then...

You don’t get the time back.

The pickups. The cuddles. The phone calls.

The chance to be fully present.

You can build your dream...

But don’t forget to live inside it too.

To pause.

To breathe.

To be present.

Because one day, the school pick-up will stop.

The questions from the back seat will fall silent.

The little voice asking, “Will you play with me?” will turn into closed doors and quiet dinners.

The “someday” moments you kept postponing have quietly slipped away.

To the mothers still in the thick of it...

You don’t need to do more to be worthy.

You already are.

This Mother’s Day, I’m honouring what I still have and mourning what I’ve lost.

And giving myself grace to be more present for what’s still here.

I’m grateful to my children.

For loving me through the noise and the striving.

And to my husband.

For holding space for the woman I was becoming.

Even when I couldn’t see her clearly myself.

From one mother to another.

You’re doing better than you think.

Motherhood is messy, magical, and meaningful all at once.

We grow as they do...

Ingrid x

Ingrid's Favourite Mother's Day Picks

Petra Tencel™ Lounge Pyjama Set

Shop Now

Ultimate Luxe Robe

Shop Now

Ruby Pug Lounge PJ Set

Shop Now

Amelie Tencel™ Lounge Pyjama Set

Shop Now

Sian Robe

Shop Now

Eva Lounge Tencel™ Pyjama Set

Shop Now