and then there was one...

Next week, I am going to Florida to take John home . I have been toting him around from state to state, house to house and without avail, unwilling to let him go. Finally, I am ready and so is he. This November 12 th will be the 5 year mark and after all this time, I can say that I am truly in a mindset to place him where he has always wanted to be…in the ocean. You know those daily reminders you receive via social media? Timehop…”On This Day” from Facebook…all letting you know what you did, on this day, 1, 2, 3, etc. years ago? As I approach the 5 year anniversary, I am reminded of what the days were like approaching his leave and what healing has looked like since then. I have been reading back through each blog, at each milestone and cannot believe the life I have had. I am reminded that this little life we have is truly magical and there is so much to be thankful for. I am taking this journey to the beach with Michelle at sunrise…the one who has seen me through this the

To me, grace is the perfect word. This word has had such an impact on my self worth and I try to remind myself on a daily basis that grace is a gift. Grace is transcendent just like a few people I have met along the way. Debbie Smith was definitely one of those people. I met Natalie my freshman year of high school during our JV volleyball tryouts and we became instant friends. Though we did not grow up together, we were inseparable since the day we met. It was like we had known each other for years and that friendship permeated throughout our families. My mom loved Natalie and soon became friends with her parents, Wayne and Debbie. There was a beautiful connection between the three that I still have a hard time explaining. They did not go out on weekends, they did not see each other outside of our sporting events much, but when they saw each other on a weekly basis, it was like they were best of friends, as well. Wayne and Debbie knew the struggles my mom went through to support