07/26/2026
This year has been really hard.
I know a big part of it is losing Ande. But it hasnāt just been that. Itās been loss, broken promises, and big changes that, if Iām being honest, havenāt made my life better at all.
No matter how this chapter ends or where I eventually land, I donāt know if Iāll ever get back to the version of myself I used to be. Some days I literally struggle just to get out of bed. The smallest tasks feel enormous, and it seems like everything in my life has become a goddamn ordeal.
One of the things Iāve been most grateful for this summer has been sewing camp.
For one week at a time, life feels familiar again. It feels like the life I used to have. I genuinely love these kids.
I still laugh thinking about how terrified I was when they first asked me to teach. I felt completely inadequate. But somewhere along the way I realized my job isnāt to know everything. On the first day I always tell the campers, āIām a crafter, not a seamstress. I can get you started, answer the questions I know, and fix your sewing machine when it decides to throw a tantrumā¦ but I probably canāt help you make a chiffon dress.ā They usually laugh, shrug, and say, āOkay!ā Turns out thatās enough.
This summer was even more special because Dottie came with me each week. Who knew a little bunny could bring so much joy to a classroom? Word spread quickly, and before long campers, teachers, staff, and even adult students would stop by throughout the day just to get a little bunny time. Watching Dottie quietly choose a lap, seeing nervous kids light up, hearing everyone laughā¦ it was pure magic.
Iām really going to miss these weeks.
P.S. I made this song for the campers this week. They loved it and asked me to play it over and over, so I figured Iād share it with all of you too. ā¤ļø Spruill Center for the Arts
