Dear Me

Someone recently asked me what I would tell my younger self if I could go back in time. The following is a complex answer to an incredibly loaded question… Dear me, You’re 10 and grieving for the first time. You loved that cat more than anything and no one told you that death wasn’t something made up in Sunday School. Cry. Cry because in this moment you are learning that life is fragile and beautiful and existential. Cry because right now we are realizing that being vulnerable is not the same as being weak and being transparent is constructive. Cry. Cry because today you construct the first fibers of the…

Battling Relocation

On December 26 the Mode clan set out on a journey that promised new beginnings. A challenging journey that would lead to financial freedom, new opportunities and grand a d v e n t u r e s. We were ready. The truck was packed [literally] and the pups were set comfortably between meticulously arranged boxes and suitcases in the back of our Toyota Prius. It was 61 degrees, the sun was shining, and we had a hearty Chick-fil-A breakfast settling in our stomaches. We were prepared for what we thought was ahead. In our preparation for our cross country trek what we failed to ponder was the reality of our…

The Complexities of Change

The summer of 2014 was a busy one. The planning and prepping that surrounded our four family weddings lead me to anxiously desire one thing; calm. I knew I would get it, I was sure of it. As the year drew to an end I could taste normalcy. I saw lazy Saturday’s, casual family dinners, and peaceful Sunday mornings on the horizon. I was ready to focus on my infant marriage and excited to navigate new family dynamics. Then, everything changed. I was completely unprepared for the challenges of 2015 I was completely unprepaired for the challenges of 2015; my fathers death, the purchase, remodel and…