What Really Counts
When we first started thinking about making the move back to my hometown of Hayesville, NC there were a lot of people who thought we were just flat out crazy. The endless comments about how small it was, what it didn’t have, what we would be missing, lack of this, lack of that, the home we were leaving, and the list went on and on and on.
Let me just say, I am a thinker by nature who can quickly get in my own head and worry about EVERY little detail. So..when these comments were made, that’s exactly what happened. My mind and Mama heart went crazy with worry about impact to my daughter. I shed so many tears thinking and worrying about my daughter and what was best for her future.
When I finally took the time to step back from it all and really looked at the things that were being pointed out to me, they were just that. They were all things that could be physically counted in some way or another. While I knew those things mattered, they weren’t what mattered most to me.
What I wanted most for my daughter were those things that I felt were so priceless that they couldn’t be counted. I wanted that hometown where people knew my daughter by name. A place she could wake up and really breathe in the fresh mountain air. A place should could walk in the woods and see wildlife at every corner. A place she could grow up with cousins her age and make memories that would last her a lifetime. A place who came together under the Friday night lights and a place who loved you no matter how much or little you had. I wanted her to feel at home around every corner.
While my values may not be the same as others, they are mine and they are what I dreamed of giving my daughter since the first pink line appeared. So here we are, back at home, and living the life we hoped for and with a little girl we never stopped praying for.
Category
Community Matters
We once formed communities because we knew we needed each other. Then, technology came along, and with the click of a button, we tried to replace those connections with convenience. The pandemic showed us that because we can literally have everything delivered to our doorstep, we still need each other and need to be connected to our communities.
We need those people who “get” us and those who can give us a firm shoulder to lean on when life is swirling around us. Our children need these communities to help them thrive and know they have a support system behind them. Small town, big city, or whatever community you claim as your own, we need each other, and our community needs us.
More Than Just A Game
This weekend sports did what sports has always done…. In a time when people find it hard to come together and often struggle to see anything positive, a small town boys basketball team became more; they became a light in the darkness. They showed us that standing together is possible, even when the world tries to keep us apart.
Value Of Bucket Friends
What is a bucket friend, you may be wondering? A bucket friend is someone you confide in, share things with, let it all out, and just empty the bucket of emotions you are carrying around. They are the friend who just listens, the one who doesn't try to fix anything, doesn't give advice unless asked, and often just remind you that you aren't as crazy as you may feel.
Thank you Coach
Our coaches are some of the most important and influential people we know in our journey as young adults, and I want to thank mine for the impact they made on my life and continue to make with the life lesson they instilled along the way. Thank you Coach
Be The Imperfect Mom
The man upstairs knew that your kids and friends would need the perspective, life, and love that only you can offer. You are the most imperfect perfect mom and friend that those around you need in their life to help them grow.
What Is Home
It’s where I was born and raised and it’s the place I always knew I would return to,It’s my heart and it’s so good to finally be home….
If I Die Young
Nobody likes to think about their mortality but in the past couple years, things have happened that I never thought I would see in my lifetime. A virus that shook us to our core and changed the way we live, way we think, and the way we look at the future. Everywhere I turned there was some form of heartache or illness that was plaguing people I know, young and old. Lives taken entirely too soon.
Living on, Not Moving on
How many times in your life has someone said to you, to someone else, or you have even said to yourself, "You just have to move on."
First Time Mom At 41
“Do you wish you had your daughter earlier”? The never ending question the older in life Mom has to deal with.
A Letter To My Daughter
I hope that wherever you look you see a piece of you in everything and recognize the beauty even in the smallest of things. I hope you always go all in, give this life and every task all that you have, leaving no regrets at the end of the day.
Lessons Learned in 2021
Even without a pandemic thrown in the mix, life can be complicated and stressful. Although most of us already have plenty to manage in our day-to-day lives with jobs, relationships, family, exercise, sleep, buying and selling homes, wondering how many more times my two-year-old can watch Cocomelon. Nevertheless, we can still take a few valuable life lessons from 2021 into 2022.
Be Too Much
To the ladies that go all out, I am talking to you. To the mamas who go overboard, I am talking to you too. I am definitely talking to anyone who has ever told or talked about for being or doing too much.
In Not Now, Then When?
Your time on this earth is limited; why not spend it chasing your dreams and making a difference.
Push Through The Dirt
What really gets me about flowers and gardening is that feeling that no matter how dirty you get putting that plant in the ground and no matter how many roots you gotta cut away to dig that hole, something beautiful still comes from it. These flowers don't start with pedigrees, Mom or Dad's money, well-known last name, nothing- yet they still grow into something beautiful.
The Best Little Things
What makes your day special? What do you think about when you lay down at night? Do you smile looking back at something that happened during the day? It might be a small thing, and that’s where the beauty and hope lies.
What Really Counts
When we first started thinking about making the move back to my hometown of Hayesville, NC there were a lot of people who thought we were just flat out crazy. The endless comments about how small it was, what rural life didn’t have, what we would be missing, lack of this, lack of that, the home we were leaving, and the list went on and on and on.
It Is Really Okay
When you wake up tomorrow, know it’s okay.
It’s okay to be the quiet one who needs alone time to let themselves recharge.
It’s okay to be the one who feeds off social interaction in order to fuel your energy.
It’s okay to think differently than those around you and still be respectful.