07/07/2026
It’s taken me a little while to figure out my timeline of grieving my Daddy…
I wanted to share a few words I’m feeling… feelings of missing him… but of love.
As many of you know, I recently said goodbye to my Daddy. These past days have been filled with tears, memories, gratitude, and moments of silence.
His room use to be my office and craft room before it was his bedroom. His room, now sits quiet, and somehow that silence says more than words ever could.
Grief is a journey, and I’ve learned there is never a timeline for it. It wasn’t when I lost Momma and it’s not now with losing Daddy. And too, somehow both timelines I know will remain the same, but somehow different. Some moments are harder than others, but I find comfort knowing that Daddy made peace with the Lord just like Momma did and is no longer suffering. While my heart misses him and my Momma deeply, I hold onto the promise that this isn’t goodbye forever.
I’ll forever be grateful for every memory, every lesson, and every “I love you.”
Now…
This empty quiet room, actually gives me a version of peace and quiet time that I’m reflecting on, which includes hope and joy in the little moments from my recent time with him, and now my new normal and what that will look like. I told myself I’m going to give myself a couple of weeks before jumping back into work and building dreams.
I’m trying to grow again in the ways that I never thought I would be able to again. It’s slow… but I will bounce back in time to Amanda… not the caretaker version of myself… but the happy creative version of myself.
I will become a dreamer again soon.
This little room helped make me who I was… before I took care of Daddy. And this little room has made me who I am today. Between this little room and my kitchen… they helped me grow my soul to something bigger than myself.
As I sit in our room and in his gray chair today, I feel Daddy’s hand on top of mine and hear him telling me to “let bygones be bygones” and just go do what you do best. Do what you want, how you want. Be Smart. Be Brave. But just do it. Ponder in the thoughts, make them right and make them doable. But have fun and love everyone while doing it. Let all the past go and start fresh as if you were once young again… while you still have the chance.
And as he always said, if you ain’t first, your last.
He had a lot of regrets in his lifetime and he didn’t want me to have any regrets like he had… just like he told me
on his death bed. The little ole’ hospital bed beside this gray chair. Between this bed and this chair we had a ton of talks. Talks between him telling me to just shoot him in the head, yes literally… to talks of life’s regrets… to a lot of forgiveness.
The beautiful flowers from his service remind me of how deeply I love him and the kindness that has surrounded our family during this difficult time.
I want to sincerely thank everyone who has prayed for us, sent messages, called, brought food, attended the service, or simply kept our family in your thoughts. Your love has carried us more than you’ll ever know.
And a very special Thank You to Hazel Green Funeral Home. The real caretakers of most of my family. I just can’t say enough wonderful things about my childhood friend Craig and his whole team at what I will always call my family’s funeral home. The ones I will always entrust with my family members.
I’m currently getting my home organized and in new order for mine and my husband’s new empty nesting stage everyone talks about. Our son is off to college and is about to start his sophomore year already here in the next month. It’s definitely “different” around here now. It’s something I’ve got to get used to.
But you’ll find more posts from me soon as one thing will never change. I love to create and put a smile on someone’s face.
BIG HUGS to you all and stay tuned for what’s to come… ❤️
