A gift to yourself

2018 is almost over.  Twelve more days to reflect, release and renew.  What better way to end a year than with a full moon on Saturday, December 22! Because of the timing with the winter solstice being a day prior, this full moon's POSITIVE impact is increased!! This full moon represents a double closure AND a new beginning!! What a perfect time to reflect on our lives and relationships with the utmost clarity thanks to the sun and moon being opposite each other in the full phase!

Everyone thinks that a full moon is ominous and the bearer of all things bad and evil. That couldn't be farther from the truth! It is a time of opportunity and this last full moon of 2018 is perfect to see all the ways that our actions have led to positive outcomes! It's time to enjoy all that is good and all that we have achieved. In the same respect, as with every full moon, it is also time to sort things out and let things go! People, feelings, actions, fears! We can't really embrace a new year until we let go of the past! This last full moon of the year is going to emotionally charge us and motivate us to confidently get rid of that which doesn't serve us!!

I've never been much of a resolutions girl, but almost 10 years ago, I started my own end-of-year ritual.  Instead of making a list of what I would change or do in the upcoming year, I made a list of who I would leave behind in the current year. By purposely and consciously "leaving" someone in the previous year and not taking them with me as the clock strikes 12, I found a sense of freedom that was unrivaled. https://winefoodie.blogspot.com/2014/12/leaving-them-behind.html

This year, I took things a step further.

Starting with June's full moon, I have completed a process of letting go with EACH full moon. For seeming so simple, it has an incredibly powerful, yet different, outcome each time.  I've even helped a few others in doing the same and the release they experienced was second to none. You should try it.  I highly recommend it for everyone! One thing that I would add to this ritual is to make sure that you end it with love and forgiveness. Love and forgiveness to the person you are releasing for what they did, how they made you feel and also love and forgiveness to your self for allowing that person to continue to have this hold on you and for any reasons you may have even added to the "victimhood".

If you want to go a step further, which I had to do in some instances because the hurt was so deep seeded, write letters. I wrote individual letters to those people who I have held on to and who have caused negative or harmful emotions that I have carried with me for decades; some since childhood. I find it is often easier to write than to speak at times especially when I don't want to be interrupted. Some letters I actually sent to the individual; some I did not. I felt the need for some to realize what their actions caused and in hopes that they wouldn't allow it to happen to anyone else; especially if they have daughters.  

What's important though is to realize that you are not doing this for them - you are doing this solely for YOU. They may not like what they read but honestly, it doesn't matter.  I could feel in my gut the people who needed to read these letters I wrote. You will also. Some felt remorse, some went into defense mode and some didn't respond but none of it mattered.

What mattered is I finally felt free to be me because I finally LET IT GO!

As these last two weeks of 2018 are upon us and you're caught up in the holiday festivities, stop  pondering over potential New Year's resolutions - the ones that you'll inevitably break before January is over - and take some time to think about what you want to release so that you can instantly feel better physically and emotionally and carry THAT in to 2019. Take time to write the list (or letters) of what you want to get rid of and burn it under the full moon with me on Saturday night. 

Give yourself that gift. 

You deserve it! 

November blues of the heart

It's November. My mom and I have dreaded November since November 27, 1984.
Carlton H. Gorham. Her father. My grandfather. Lovebug. He died that day in Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Alexandria, VA and it changed both of us forever. He was only 64 and the doctor said his heart exploded.

I was at school in the 6th grade when it came over the loud speaker that I had an early dismissal and needed to come to the office. I was confused. As I left my classroom, I saw Sheila, my mom's best friend, and immediately thought something had happened to my mom but I was wrong. It was Lovebug and Mom and Dad were already at the hospital. My second mom had come to get me.  That was 15 days prior. He would never make it out of the Cardiac Care Unit.

I was only 11 and everyone thought I was too young to understand. I can still remember how mad that made me. I never got to say goodbye to the one man I adored my entire life. I remember walking past his room and he waved to me from his bed but they wouldn't let me in to see him. I knew how sick he was and all I wanted was to be with him but I was never afforded that chance. The day he died, I vowed to him, myself and my grandmother that I would spend the rest of her life making sure she was taken care of.  From a young age, they taught me the meaning of unconditional love. Until the day that my sweet ladybug left her earthly body, 29 years later, to join the love of her life, I made sure she wanted for nothing. There's nothing I wouldn't have done for her and she for me. It's the least I could do for him.

I didn't think November could ever get any worse. But, 19 years and three days later, it did. 

Sheila Pugh was my mom's best friend and my second mom. Sheila was always there. She drove me to elementary school every day in that green monster car.  I don't remember a day of living in Dale City without Sheila in it.  Her creativity and love of nature and animals rivals none - still to this day. She was supposed to plan my wedding. We had talked about it since I was a little girl. Because of being hospitalized with lung cancer, she couldn't even attend my wedding and I should have taken that as the sign of all signs and called it off. No, seriously, I should have, even if it was only a month prior. I remember sitting with her in the hospital telling her all about the wedding and giving her a framed picture.  I was still so naive but in time Sheila would tell me she knew all along he wasn't the one.

I remember watching the Redskins game that Sunday night when I got the call from her son. It was November 30, 2003 when Sheila left her frail, cancer-ravaged, earthly body for her heavenly wings. How could this be? How could she be gone at only 55 years old? Sheila was always a powerhouse of strength and fire in a tiny little body.  You never had to wonder what she was thinking or where she stood with you. What you see is what you get. I admired her more than any female I had ever met and even to this day, I still call on her for strength. My graceful, determined dragonfly, so much of how I look at life is because of you.

I hate November. I hate every single bit of it, especially towards the end of the month. It's like the whole first part of the month just looms over me waiting to collapse come the last week. It hits like a ton of bricks all over again. Can we just skip November? Can we just go from October to December? Better yet, let's skip Christmas too because it's not the same. But it never happens that way. The annual reminders always attack me as if I don't have enough daily ones leading up to that time.

Then it got worse. Yep. Wait. I bet you're wondering on how on earth it could get worse? Well, let me set the stage for you. 

On Labor Day 2016, my pride and joy, my best friend, my german shepherd, Prowler, and I made one of our all-time dreams come true. We moved to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with the love of my life and the dad of his dreams.  My parents had come down for Thanksgiving - our first Thanksgiving in our new home. On Saturday, November 26, we were waiting for the much anticipated Ohio State vs Michigan football game to begin.  I took Prowler out for a potty break and as we got to the middle landing of our home, his legs buckled under him, his eyes glazed over and he collapsed. Not wanting to relive that nightmare again (because I've done it enough the last two years), the next day, November 27, 2016, my heart on four feet, with his head on my arm, took his last breath. Hemangiosarcoma. Absolutely no warning and nothing I could do to save him. That unconditional love that my grandparents gave me was now being imparted to my sweet boy so that he wouldn't suffer and experience immeasurable pain. My heart went with him that afternoon.  As if November 27 wasn't already a nightmare enough, it just worsened exponentially.

The one stable force that was always with me and Mom during these unbearable losses was my dad. Even though he was just as devastated as we were with each one, he was strong and persevered. Even though Carlton was more of a father to him than his own. Even though Sheila was the sister he never had. Even though Prowler was the dog he always wanted as a child and was never allowed to have. Dad always had those broad shoulders and always took care of his girls.

Flash forward to 7:38 a.m. on Friday, November 24, 2017. After 21 years of kicking prostate cancer's ass, after the last two years of battling chemo and suffering life-altering side effects, after six nightmare days of in-home hospice, and after making sure he saw his beloved Redskins win a division home game on Thanksgiving day, Denny Moore, my dad, my hero, the first man I ever loved, peacefully took his last breath as I read Psalm 121 to him.

My grandfather, my second mom, my best friend and my dad all died within a seven-day span of each other over 33 years. With the passing of each one, the sense of loss, pure heartbreak and emptiness became deeper. 

November was never the same.

Thanksgiving was never the same. 

Life was never the same. 

And it never will be again. 

A rant that is overdue

Oh, you don't eat meat.

You just eat rabbit food.
How can you eat that stuff? I could never eat like that.

They say: Oh, you don't eat meat....

Usually,  I just give a blank stare or change the subject because they really don't want to hear what I have to say anyway so why waste my breath or feel like I have to defend my choices.

What I want to say: I eat meat. Just not every meal of every day. I eat less meat now than I ever have though. Why? Well, perhaps you haven't read any of my blog posts or any of my Facebook posts.  Maybe you don't listen to anything I have to say or comprehend anything you read. Maybe because you just don't care or just don't want to hear it. There are plenty of reasons why I have altered my eating habits. Primarily, it's because I want to live a healthier life and if that prolongs my life as well, that is a bonus. I want to physically look and feel better on a daily basis. I don't want to take medicine to combat what bad fats, dairy and meat products have done to my body. I'd rather just not consume the products that are known to cause those problems. I love a good smoked brisket. I love a juicy burger. I enjoy delicious pulled pork. I can throw down a greasy pepperoni and sausage pizza like someone is going to steal it from me.  I can splurge on a filet mignon. But, my choice is to not make that my choice. After my 30-day food challenge in April of this year, I chose to eat 90/10 whole food, plant based and that's what I've done.  To be honest, why do you even care that I "don't eat meat"? I'm not forcing you to do the same.

They say: You just eat rabbit food.

Usually, again, I give a blank stare and change the subject because I'm not sure what relevant or enjoyable conversation will come out of saying what I really want to say. If I tried to explain, you'd just make me defensive and it's not worth it.

What I want to say: It's not rabbit food. I had a rabbit as a pet for eight years. The staple of a rabbit's diet is timothy hay. I have never consumed timothy hay or any type of hay. I also don't chomp on carrots or eat iceberg lettuce. By the way, iceberg lettuce is the worst thing you can give a rabbit - it destroys their digestive system but you didn't know that either, did you? Iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value for humans either.  I like salads but my rabbit never had baby spinach as a meal and neither do I.  I also never gave him black beans or corn or tomatoes or sweet potatoes (although my german shepherd loved yams).  Eating whole food, plant based is not just eating salads. It's eating foods that are not processed. It's cutting out sugar which fuels cancer, by the way. It's eating fresh vegetables and fruit. I still eat pasta but it's plant based not processed carb loads. I still eat desserts and chocolate but it's organic natural ingredients. But aren't they gross? No, actually. I have had just as delicious chocolate desserts and there are not "bad for you" ingredients in any of the recipes! How do you eat desserts without sugar? Use dates for your sweetener or agave. You'd be surprised what healthy alternatives exist that serve the same purpose.

They say: How can you eat THAT stuff?

Usually, at this point, you can see blood starting to drip out the corners of my mouth for biting my tongue for so long.

What I want to say: THAT stuff? They act as if I am grazing on my backyard grass and sharing suet with the chickadees. I'm not really sure what is meant by THAT stuff but it's now when I realize that they have no idea what whole food, plant based eating consists of. No, I'm not vegan but it's sometimes easier to just say I am so they'll shut up.  Honestly, it's more restrictive than veganism. No, I'm not a vegetarian. I eat more than just vegetables.  No, I don't need a label but for some reason it makes them feel better to give me one - an inaccurate one.

They say: I could never eat like that.

Usually, I sigh and am about to scream at this point.

What I want to say: Never say never. I never thought I could or would either until my health dictated a change.  At this point, they're thinking, oh, look at you! You don't need to go on a diet. You weigh 80lbs soaking wet (which is nowhere near the truth, thank you). It's not a diet by any means. I also do not change the way I live to please others. I do it to feel good about myself because the last time I checked, I don't see them in charge of making me a better person - physically or mentally. But, they're quick to judge. But, I've realized why they react this way. Ignorance. Whenever they don't understand something, they decide to attack the person who is doing something different than what they are used to instead of trying to understand it. They don't have to eat this way. I don't care if they eat hamburgers every meal, chase it with a diet Coke and then eat ice cream and cake for dessert every night. I'm not looking down on them for how they choose to eat so why do they feel the need to put me down because I make different choices?

Making a choice to change the way you eat is just like choosing to stop smoking cigarettes. Food is an addiction. We are used to eating a certain way, certain foods, our entire life. Believe me, at 44 years old it wasn't easy to change. It wasn't easy at all. Ask Hubs or my mom who had to put up with my moaning and fits of rage for 30 days straight. But just like with quitting smoking, you have to WANT to do it. You have to WANT to change. You have to WANT to stop knowingly putting harmful substances in your body. You have to WANT to look and feel better. Your body is used to it. Your brain is used to it. You have to train it to perform and survive without those things. It sucks going through that withdrawal process. I know. I did it. But I am so much better off as a result. I lost the weight I wanted and continue to keep it off. My clothes fit better. My body feels better.  My blood work and health tests are also indicative of how this way of eating heals.  I will never throw a pill down my throat when I can heal my ailment by changing my eating habits.  It really is that amazing. Thankfully,  I don't have a chronic disease and I'm not severely obese. I'm not on the verge of a heart attack or a stroke. But I had just enough "wrong" that I didn't want to keep going down that road. I wanted to stop it before it got out of control and would be even harder for me to change. I know people who have lost 100lbs or more by eating this way. I know people who have curtailed their heart disease by eating this way. I know people who no longer have chronic pain because of this way of eating. I know people who have started eating this way and now are off of their blood pressure and cholesterol meds and no longer have to give themselves insulin. I know people who started eating this way and their tumors disappeared. 

If I knew about whole food, plant-based eating, 22 years ago, my dad may still be here. That right there is enough to smack me in the face and wake me up. I couldn't save him but I will do everything in my power to save me.

So, I just won't accept you putting me down for pursuing a lifestyle just because YOU don't understand it. I won't start arguments (although at times it's been difficult). But when you're ready, you let me know and I'll be happy to help you and guide you in the right direction to better yourself. 

It takes will power. 
It takes determination. 
It takes a supportive people around you. 
I don't put you down for your religious beliefs or your fashion choices or your political views. 
So, stop belittling me for your ignorance.

They say: I just don't understand why you eat this way.

I say: You don't have to. With all due respect, I really don't care what you think.

-End of rant-

Her mind's thoughts

Pure exhaustion. Drained. Demands of the day. It's over. Finally. Driving. Auto pilot.

Traffic light. Message. Pitched roof. Gingerbread lattice. Attic. Rope. A life taken. Loss of baby girl. Gone. Emily. Pink dress. Incredible sadness. Instant pain. Head. Won't stop.

Spotlight of the sun through the clouds. Faint rectangular rainbow. Music. Edwin.  I'll be. The greatest fan of your life. Daddy. Support. Tears. I've got this.

Evening walk. Brisk air. Sweet girl. Abandoned house. Overgrown brush. Lone weaving lilac. Peeling paint. Always unknowingly led there. No explanation. Until now. Top window. Kitchen. White dress shirt.  Maroon tie. I knew it. Let me help. Next time.

Deep breath. Veil is thin. Fear not. Fortunate one. Aware.

Home. Hydrate. Meditate. Enchanting music. Soothing candle. Calm. Quiet. No words spoken. Deep sigh.

Joseph Carr. California. Pop. Pour. Glass half full. Deep red purple hue. One sniff. Transported. Muddy field. Barefoot. Racing. Giggling. Playing. Not a care. Innocence.

Longing.
Reminiscing.
Breathing.
Releasing.

Just being.
At last.

This is where the healing begins

I've never really cared too much about what other people think of me.  Everyone has their opinions and are welcome to express them. I listen and I may or may not agree, but as long as you don't push it on me and are respectful, I'll often just end up agreeing to disagree and move on.

I also don't do things for attention. I act and react the way I feel is best (or the only way I know how).  I believe in what I believe in and whole heartedly so. I am pretty damn knowledgeable about a handful of things of which I am quite passionate. I'll fight to the bitter end to defend those things (and people) I believe in, when necessary, but I'll never punish you for feeling differently. I expect you to treat me the same.

I may seem, to most, as if I enjoy life, am genuinely happy and make friends easily.  For the most part, that is an accurate observation but very few people, and I mean less than 10, truly know who I REALLY am. That same handful truly WANT to know who I really am and care with all of their being to understand and know me and for that I am grateful. My tribe.

I have friends. I have acquaintances. I have coworkers. I have family. I enjoy being out in public, communicating and being social... sometimes.  But it's when I'm alone, in the safe, secure, sanctuary I call home, that I can finally start to breathe and just be myself.  For I am many things that many people cannot and do not see.

I am an empath. I feel and tune in to the emotions and energy of people and animals. They can be right in front of me or they can be on the other side of the country. And yes, some even have taken on another form and are not physically here on earth anymore. I am psychic aware, as a result, and have been honing my medium skills through animal communication as well as the energy of those who have passed from this world.  This is where most of you will stop reading and that is when all that I previously mentioned will come into play.

About eight months ago, I embarked on a healing journey that has opened up so many doors and given me such a new insight on life. I have been working with an energy healer, delving into tarot card work and acknowledging and learning to heal my core wounds.  This is not work for the faint of heart but it is incredibly necessary and rewarding. My entire life, I have always sought and often found, though fleeting, happiness in other people and things. I am finally understanding that happiness can only be found within ourselves. Until you realize that fact, you will never be truly happy. Then there is the part of the journey where forgiveness needs to play a dominant role - forgiving yourself AND forgiving others. I have been wronged by many and surely know how to hold a lifelong grudge, but through this journey I have realized that forgiving someone is not benefitting them but it's truly for me!! Once I was able to let go of those people and their hold on my emotions, I felt a freedom that I cannot even begin to put into words.

If you're still reading this, you're probably thinking, "Dear God, the girl has lost her mind" or "Poor thing, her daddy died and now she's losing it." It couldn't be farther from the truth. I have been in tune with the spirit world for many years and once I came to the conclusion that my energy work on myself has made way for me to help others, I knew it was time for me to stop keeping it hidden. What I have come to realize in the last year is that I'm not alone. There are many like me but few who will actually speak about it for fear of shame and unacceptance. Well, I'm done. Those people who think we are crazy or avoid these types of conversations with us are doing so because they are scared of the unknown or think it's wrong because it's different from what they know. You live your life the way you want and I'll live mine.  But when you're ready to transform into your higher self and surrender to your true being by letting go of the past by forgiving and choosing love, then you let me know.

And I will be here. I'll be here to help you in any way I can. As long as it comes from a place of truth and love, I'll help you along this journey because as I do so, it is equally helping me in return.

 

This is where the healing begins.
This is where the healing starts.
When you come to where you're broken within, the light meets the dark.

- Tenth Avenue North

Grateful on Birthday Eve

I love birthdays. I usually wait with anticipation as August comes to a close because September is my birth month. I have things planned all month - from tiny little simple happies to larger excursions.  Everyone laughs at me because I believe birthdays should be celebrated all month; not just one day. This isn't about "me" or being special. It's about feeling alive and grateful to have been given life and been chosen to live this awesome life that I am living! I never understand why people don't want to celebrate or why they think growing older is something awful. Surviving another year is often times a miracle in itself and when God has given me yet another year under my belt, I am full of gratitude!

But this year is different. As the last week in August approached, I had nothing planned. No celebrations - big or small. When I was asked what I wanted for my birthday, all my heart could say was, "I want my dad and Prowler back." Since that can't occur, there really wasn't anything material that even excited me. You'd think turning 45 would be a monumental birthday but I've been really nonchalant about it all. I wanted to just spend it with those I love - mostly hubs, my mom and my sweet little girl.

Well, it's Birthday Eve and the tides are changing... literally. While earlier in the week I was having bouts of anxiety about Hurricane Florence demolishing my little slice of paradise here in the OBX and truly stealing everything I call "home", today I am ready to celebrate. I have been energized and I have been smacked in the face by reality. I am turning 45 tomorrow and while most stores and restaurants are closed and my birthday Zac Brown Band concert present was cancelled, I am still ready to celebrate. Why? Because I am alive. Because I have pretty much all I have ever dreamed of in this lifetime. Because I have a man who believes in me, accepts  all my crazy, and treats me like the queen that my daddy always made me believe I am. Because I am healthy and have an incredible roof over my head. Because I have a momma who is my best friend and holds my heart.

Why am I ready to celebrate now? As I watch CNN and see the devastating floods in New Bern, NC and farther south, I am blatantly reminded that was almost us. Had Florence not turned south.... Had she changed her mind and decided to come north again.... the flooding in New Bern would have been us. So today, on Birthday Eve, I am smiling. My heart and soul are gratefully smiling as I fall to my knees, raise my head to the sky and thank Mother Nature and the good Lord above. This truly may be one of my best birthdays yet!

God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well. - Voltaire

Doves, double rainbows and a message from Dad

The past 24 hours, I have been surrounded with extreme bouts of strength and hope equaled by bouts of pure hysteria and fear. We are prepared to stay and we are equally prepared to leave should we deem necessary. There are many considerations to undertake –more than you realize until you are in this situation. We still have time. We are more fortunate than most – we have storm shutters, we are not in a flood zone, we have a generator, we have a plan. Most of all, we have each other.

This morning, I was already in a state of sadness and brought back to that fateful day in DC, NY and PA – 9/11. I looked outside and my American flag was flying high and proud. I walked out on my deck and I saw my calm Mother Ocean and the pink sunrise coming through the fluffy white clouds.  I thanked God for allowing me this gift and I asked him to graciously protect my little slice of paradise; this amazing community that has shown more strength and love to their fellow man in the past two years that I’ve been here than I can even begin to put into words.

I ran around taking pictures of my home and belongings as I walked down the stairs to head to work for half a day and I felt a heaviness weighing on me. On auto pilot, I got in my jeep, waved to Dan at the golf course clubhouse as I passed, said “good morning” to the ocean at the end of my street and turned right  onto the Bypass for my typical 25-minute drive to Manteo.  

I felt myself being pulled to the ocean; to a beach access. But I didn’t want to go to my usual access. I didn’t know where I wanted to go but I needed to go. I needed to feel the sun on my face. I needed to hear and smell the ocean. I needed to feel the sand on my feet.  It may be the last time for a while after today. I asked for direction and suddenly had the urge to turn left in Nags Head and drive toward the beach road.  As I turned right onto the beach road, it was deserted already. I immediately turned left to the Blackman Rd. beach access.  No one was there and, as I walked up the tall steps, I could feel the sun to my right and I could hear the ocean waves peacefully crashing.

As I approached the top and saw this glorious sight, I raised my head to the sky, took a deep breath and prayed. I instantly felt a source of strength and determination I haven’t felt before.  There was a lone surfer to the left and the Nags Head Pier off in the distance to my right. The ocean wasn’t angry; it was breathtakingly beautiful. I took in all the beauty around me and it instantly turned into inner strength and fueled my soul.

As I walked back to my jeep, two doves greeted me and that’s when I knew I was making the right decision. A lone dove has always been a sign of my grandfather being with me and confidently urging me to stay on my current path. He never leads me astray. Two doves together strengthen that point and are a source of protection – my grandparents together – the ultimate source of unconditional love and union – solidifying that I know exactly what I’m doing and to finally just stop doubting myself.

As I proceed down the beach road, what is the first thing I see? A milepost sign.  #11. Yeah, another awesome sign- clarity and guidance from my spirit guides.  I survey all of the houses and businesses that I pass and my mind starts to wander and realize what could, and probably will, happen here within a matter of days. Life as we know it will change. It always does during a storm but those who live in the Outer Banks are survivors.  I make the turn past Jeanette’s Pier and cross over the road leading to Hatteras Island. As I sit at the traffic light waiting to turn at Sugar Creek Restaurant to proceed across the causeway, I ask God for a sign. I ask for a sign to show me the way; to tell me what to do. I need to stop this battle in my head and be given guidance once and for all on how to handle this situation. Do I stay? Do I go? Instantly, the light turned green and as I turn, a double rainbow is smack in front of my face. I had to pull over into a parking lot to take a picture and as tears rolled down my face, I knew.......

I’m not going anywhere. This is my home. Living here has been the dream that I never thought would come true. I love my home – my physical home and this barrier island that I have called home for the last two years and has been my one true source of peace for over 30 years. I don’t want to leave. I don’t need to leave. I have a renewed strength and once this storm is over, I want to already be here so I can help those less fortunate than us rebuild. Right there on the side of the road just over the Little Bridge, I had a true awakening and have never felt so sure of anything in my life.  I asked for a sign and bam! A double rainbow – a complete double rainbow!  A double rainbow is meant to help us align our outer world with our inner spirit which has been my exact struggle up to this point.  It is also a sign from the Universe that you are about to have something great fall into your lap and that one good thing will lead to another. Hallelujah!

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature with you, for everlasting generations…I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth . . . and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. (Genesis 9:12, 15, HBFV)

I arrive at work, with a smile on my face, a renewed spirit and a sense of determination and hope. I get to my desk and what do I find? Words from my father.  Words he texted me when I totaled my car and was completely distraught in early 2017. “Keep the faith. Things will be fine. Be strong.” As if I needed another sign this morning...... Thanks, Daddy. You always protected your little girl and yes, I feel and know that you still are. I will carry these words with me through whatever may come……

Until then, love one another, put away the pettiness, appreciate what you have, and pray hard for all of us in the wrath of this powerful bitch named, Florence.