The Ocean will forever be Bittersweet

Last October I went to Kiawah island to find you and I found pieces of myself. On that ocean shore I found joy I found wonder wild like I found innocence child like I felt like a little girl again I had that boardwalk memorized And I can feel the summer heat On my little…

Carolina Forest 🌿 Home

They say nothing grows here But that’s okay Cause we grew up here And I wouldn’t have it any other way These woods - my heart calls home I walk barefoot to feel the earth under my toes little white-tail Stops and stares And I don’t know another place With this much beauty and this…

Thank you

Dad can you hear me ? I think you can I just can’t hear you And I miss the sound of your voice Your laugh Your words full of wisdom And encouragement I try to think of what you would say to me... I think you would say that you are proud of me. That…

Reminders of You

Allie points out a book while we are browsing the incredibly cheap book section at Ollie's. It's Rich Mullins. We try to figure out if it's one you owned. You had almost everything you could find about Rich Mullins. I ate Rocky Road ice cream tonight and realized where my strange love of chocolate ice…

My Daddy’s eyes

My daddy once told me that photography was my drug. I was sharing some of my newest photos with him when he asked me how I felt when I was holding the camera. Knowing that I struggled with chronic back pain, he was asking if I noticed a decrease in pain when I was doing…

Missing You Dad

Dear Dad, I miss you. I feel lost without you here. One year since your passing is coming up at the end of this month. Summer will never be the same again. Nothing will ever be the same again. I want to hear your laughter, to see your whole face light up when you smile.…

Holding onto Hope

Dear Dad, There are so many days when it doesn’t seem to get easier. I miss you It seems to get harder ... lonelier. I just want to share one more laugh with you, have one more hug from you, listen to one more song with you. Every new person that I meet I find…

Before and After

The moment we lost our loved one is so hugely defining for us. There isn’t anything in the world we can do to change that. Before the unthinkable became our reality;Before is that secure place where we lived predictable lives ... After rips off the illusion that Before wore as its mask. That mask of forever, of safe, of comfort, of trusting in futures. After seems to mock us.

Dear Dad

Dear Dad,If I had more time with you I honestly don’t know what I would do first aside from wrapping my arms around you to give you the biggest hug ever. I do wonder, though, if I would choose to relive some of my favorite times with you or use the time creating new memories…

Clemson, Coke floats and Queen

I can just imagine the excitement in your voice now, the way you would have yelled out the score as The Tigers won their Championship game last night! I remember the first football game you took us to and getting an orange tiger paw painted on my face. I remember watching tv, sitting with my…