This past weekend

We had a health scare on Friday with our little girl, so I spent the rest of the weekend reigning in my anxieties. Once you become a parent there is no going back when it comes to fear. I will just go ahead and admit it... I am terrified of harm coming to my children. It is the one aspect of my life for which I can't seem to find a place of serenity and letting go. I do not want to lose anyone that I love. So... when there are unknowns with your kiddies regarding their health what better thing to do than get outside and focus on the beauty all around you? At least, that's all that I know to do. Fake it till you make it. I tried hard to let all of my anxiety seep out into the sky and enjoyed the magnificent joy of my beautiful daughter. I did my best to stay in the now and not worry about what might be.


We went to this amazing farm. I love the name... Hickory Nut Gap Farm. My dad has gathered hickory nuts for as long as I can remember. He dries them and cracks them with a hammer. Then he meticulously picks all of the nut meat clean with a sewing needle. I've tried it and I have to tell you, this is no easy task. So the fact that this gap is named "Hickory Nut Gap" has always filled me with sentimental joy. I have driven through this gap many times in the past almost 20 years and each time I am reminded of the smell, feel, and taste of hickory nuts because they are part of my upbringing.


It was really a lovely fall afternoon for Western North Carolina. This farm has been passed down within a family for decades and you can feel the heritage seeping through the soil. We were a part of a menagerie of little girls. Some knew each other and some didn't, but it didn't matter. Within the first half hour you would have thought they all grew up together, knowing one another for their entire lives. That is the magic of children. They don't even have to talk. Suddenly they're just holding hands, laughing, and running, sharing, and playing. It all comes so naturally and there are no percetible formalities. It was just what we needed. Isn't it incredible how often you receive exactly what you need?