Healing Through Creativity: A Journey of Grief and Inspiration

2023 will forever be etched on my brain as the year I lost my Dad. It wasn’t an event I was ready for, let alone a journey I wanted to travel, and yet the reality was that it wasn’t my decision to make!

As a part of that journey, I turned to the one thing that has always allowed me to process my emotions. As my fingers clicked away, the words that flowed out resulted in my first picture book—a true gift from God and my Dad! I will also forever cherish the class of students that traveled the subsequent weeks following his death alongside me. As I created illustrations to accompany those words, they eagerly awaited the next installment, greeting me every morning with excited eyes and the words, “Did you draw another page yet?” From start to finish, the book was completed in about two weeks, and I was so proud to officially publish it on Amazon.

Fast forward to January 2025, and I was ready to revisit that place. With new skills on board, I created this second edition. I can honestly say that I LOVE the completed result and hope that anyone who picks it up will too. While I wouldn’t wish grief on anyone, if my words and illustrations can help just one person, it will be a success!

From the inside cover that represents my Dad sitting next to my first love, my sweet dog called Cara (whom Dad affectionately called “Nuisance Dog”!), to the red cardinals on every page and a few other ‘Easter eggs,’ I think the results speak for themselves!

As I reflect on this journey, I realize that even in the depths of sorrow, creativity has the power to heal and connect. Through my book, I hope to inspire others to embrace their own stories and, like my Dad would have wanted, to SHINE bright, illuminating the path for themselves and those around them.