Pretty is Reinvention | Liliana

Jacksonville, Florida

Mother • Wedding Chapel Owner • Woman of Faith

“Pretty is reinvention.”

If you had met Liliana years ago, you probably would have seen a woman who smiled a lot.

What you would not have seen were the tears she cried when nobody was watching.

Originally from Colombia — the beautiful land of Shakira, the best coffee in the world, and the most delicious arepas de queso you will ever taste — Liliana came to the United States carrying dreams much bigger than her suitcase.

She believed that if she worked hard enough, loved deeply enough, and never gave up, life would eventually make sense.

Life had other plans.

Liliana has lived through two divorces. She knows what it feels like to rebuild your life from scratch more than once.

She knows the loneliness of being a single mom,

wondering how she would pay the bills, find another job, and somehow still be the mother her daughter deserved. There were days she felt strong, and there were days when she could barely recognize herself.

When her daughter left for college, Liliana discovered something she had never expected: empty nest syndrome. The silence in the house became louder than any noise, and she slipped into a deep depression. She needed medication to help her find her footing again, and for a while, she wondered if she would ever feel like herself.

“For a long time, I thought healing meant becoming the person I used to be. I was wrong. Healing meant becoming someone new.”

What Helped Her Keep Going?

Little by little — not overnight, not magically, but one small step at a time — Liliana began finding her way back.

“Faith in God became my anchor. Prayer reminded me that I wasn’t walking alone.”

Meditation taught her to quiet the chaos inside her mind, and forgiveness, especially forgiving herself, became one of the greatest gifts she has ever received. That journey led her to something even more beautiful: self-awareness.

She started saying yes to life again, reconnecting with old friends and opening her heart to new friendships. Some friendships came back into her life exactly when she needed them, while others appeared out of nowhere and reminded her that good people still exist.

On Fridays, Liliana began taking herself on dates — sometimes a nice lunch, sometimes a cozy coffee shop, but most of the time, simply a long walk on the beach, listening to the rhythm of the waves and letting the ocean remind her that everything eventually settles.

“Those walks became my therapy. The ocean never judged me. It simply reminded me that every wave eventually returns to calm.”

Along the way, Liliana also discovered parts of herself she never knew existed. She almost moved to Orlando. She discovered improv. And she realized something that had been hiding inside her all along: she is funny. Yes, she really does dream of becoming a stand-up comedian someday.

“Life has given me enough material to keep an audience laughing for years.”

Speaking of adventures, Liliana also drove for Uber for two months between jobs — she called it “bungee jumping without the harness.” Every day was an adventure. She met incredible people, heard unforgettable stories, laughed with complete strangers, and learned that kindness is everywhere if you are willing to look for it. And somehow, she earned a perfect five-star rating — not bad for someone who was simply trying to survive between paychecks.

Through every chapter of her life, one person has remained her greatest blessing: her daughter. Watching her grow into the extraordinary young woman she is today has been, and always will be, one of the greatest honors of Liliana’s life.

The little girl who once needed her for everything has become someone she now turns

to for wisdom when she is feeling lost or simply feeling the blues. Life has a funny way of coming full circle.

Watching her chase her dreams fills Liliana’s heart with a kind of pride that words can barely describe. Next year, her daughter will travel to Greece to pursue her dream of becoming an archaeologist during her internship. Go Gators!

Then, just when Liliana had finally learned to be happy on her own, God surprised her. He brought Scott into her life — the love of her life. A beautiful soul. Kind, gentle, brilliant, compassionate. An empath, just like her. And yes, very handsome.

But what Liliana loves most is not how he looks. It is how he sees her.

“What I love most isn’t how he looks. It’s how he sees me. Not the titles I’ve held. Not the mistakes I’ve made. Not the broken pieces of my past. He sees me. The real me. Every imperfect, growing, healing part of me.”

Together, they are learning that love is not about finding someone perfect. It is about choosing each other every single day with compassion, patience, forgiveness, and an endless willingness to keep growing. People often say the third time is the charm. For Liliana, it truly was.

One of Liliana’s biggest dreams since she was a little girl was to become a wedding planner. She loved everything about weddings — the joy, the flowers, the happy tears, the music, and the promise of two people beginning a new life together. But life took her on a completely different path.

Or so she thought.

God had something far more beautiful planned for her. When she met Scott, their dreams came together in a way neither of them could have imagined. Together, they became the owners of a beautiful wedding chapel in Jacksonville, Florida. And just like that, her childhood dream came true.

“Today, I have the incredible privilege of helping hundreds of couples begin one of the most important days of their lives. Watching them become one, witnessing their promises to each other, and sending them into their new chapter surrounded by God’s love and blessings fills my heart every single day.”

Life has a beautiful way of reminding us that sometimes our dreams don’t happen when we expect them to. They happen exactly when they’re meant to.

Oh, and one more thing — Liliana’s husband is a retired U.S. Navy Chaplain.

“Yes... I married the Chaplain. Go Navy!”

What Does Pretty Mean?

Pretty is reinvention.

Pretty is arriving in a new country with dreams bigger than your suitcase.

Pretty is rebuilding your life from scratch more than once and still believing life can surprise you.

Pretty is surviving two divorces and not letting your heart close.

Pretty is being a single mother and doing whatever it takes.

Pretty is needing help for depression and still finding your footing again.

Pretty is forgiving yourself.

Pretty is discovering you are funny after years of carrying heavy things.

Pretty is taking yourself on Friday dates.

Pretty is letting the beach become therapy.

Pretty is understanding that healing does not always mean becoming who you used to be. Sometimes it means becoming someone new.

The Strongest Thing She’s Ever Done

“The strongest thing I’ve ever done was keep going after two divorces and a depression I didn’t see coming — and choose, every time, to become someone new instead of trying to go back to who I used to be.”

One Thing She Wants Another Woman to Hear

“Your story isn’t over because you’ve been hurt. Your dreams don’t expire because life took longer than you expected. It’s never too late to reinvent yourself. Never too late to laugh again. Never too late to forgive. Never too late to begin again. And it’s certainly never too late to find happiness.”

If you are reading this while walking through one of the hardest seasons of your life, Liliana hopes you will borrow a little of her faith until you can find your own.

Keep going.

God is still writing your story, and sometimes, the most beautiful chapters are the ones we never saw coming.

Thank you, Liliana, for sharing your story and reminding us that reinvention is not pretending the past did not happen. It is becoming someone new with everything you have lived, learned, survived, forgiven, and found along the way.

I See Your Pretty™

Founder’s Note from Amanda

I know Liliana in real life, and that makes this story especially meaningful to share.

There was a season when I was walking through a devastating breakup, trying to make sense of the fact that someone I loved was not who I thought he was. Liliana and her daughter took me in, supported me, and gave me a safe place to land for as long as I needed. Her compassion, understanding, and friendship helped me through some very dark moments. She held me up when I needed it, even though she was still carrying hard things of her own.

Looking back, I also know I may have been one of the friends who came and went. I ended up trying again in that relationship, and my focus sadly went back there for a while. But when I needed Liliana again, she was there. And the improv she talks about? I started that class with her.

She is funny. She is fun. She is compassionate, brave, and full of life. I am so grateful to call her my friend.

Thank you, Liliana, for letting us see your pretty.