corners and heart strings.

man alive, my baby has grown up. in a time and place so far away, it's unusual to look back and see that time stopped for nothing. clearly, the freckles on her cheekbones are still visible (and of course still melt my heart), but the wiggly teeth and crazy hair have some how found their years in a new face. a girl. one no longer so delicate to me, but much more powerful and in place.
i hope she knows the sun rises so she can dance. i hope she knows the sun sets so she can dream.

but mostly, i hope she knows that she has given me hope, dedication, and a love that is truly unreal. never have i wished as many happy days on anyone, as i have for her.





growing up has come for me too, of course. i have loved, lived, dared, and escaped. there are few things i wish i could go back and change. and there are many days i wish i could go back and relive. to become close with your own heart, you must make it beat. find the things you love, and do them. happiness is what you make it.
sparkles and polka dots are fun for the eyes, but the view of a personalized happiness is the fun found in unlocking the potential to your own ambition.
embrace the imperfect. look for amazing desires within yourself, that are unlike the desire of the usual. paint your nails every night, express yourself through music, and act in the moment. live, love, and laugh in a way that corresponds to the heart your body holds.

days go by without the permission of anyone. my biggest regret is letting time slip without capturing the profound breathes my lungs have breathed in. picking blackberries with my papa, spending endless summers with my favorite girls softball team, building tree houses with my neighborhood friends, experiencing the birth of kennedy, becoming my brothers best friend, my first kiss/love, realizing independence is not always a choice, living through heart break, losing a piece of myself to the wrong person, rebuilding walls, experiencing a new school, losing my brother to college, struggling with an eating disorder, learning to drive, staying up until the sun rises, fishing with my boys, and spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror to impress people not worth impressing. it's an incredible feeling to look back at negatives times, and finally embrace them. good and bad work together in every situation, so when it rains (maybe even pours) a rainbow will always been somewhere out there.


i started this piece because in a matter of only a few minutes, talking on the phone to Reagan made me realize that im no longer a little girl. she's in the position that i wish i was still in. the thought of my "last" year in school honestly scares the shit out of me. i guess i just want Reags to know, that when life seems crazy, fast, and unbearable, there is always a place of sanity in your own heart.



To Reagan; please know that a little piece of me is ALWAYS with you. i'm sorry that i have been distant for the past few years, but i think you'll understand eventually that it only had to do with that "growing up" stage. i think about you everyday, and i have loved watching you grow up. i still remember the first time i met you, and the thick dark hair you had. the movie shrek always makes me think of you, and any freckle i see reminds me of your sweet sun kissed cheeks. i hope you know you mean the absolute world to me, i love you more than words can explain. Here's to a great 3rd grade/senior year!


dance, smile, and laugh everyday baby girl. let your heart fly :)