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Good Wednesday morning, my Lovelies!
Am I overwhelming you with blogs lately? I hope not. I hope the things I write about are entertaining, touching, or make you think about your own life and realize you aren't alone in your struggles, triumphs, and joys. We all need those connections, even if it comes from a stranger.
I hope you're all doing well and are having a wonderful holiday season. Obviously, this year hits a bit different for me. In the past year and a half my father, mother, and aunt have all passed away. I also recently had the first man to EVER make me feel beautiful, sexy, and wanted - the man who rescued me from a really bad marriage, to suddenly die. So, yeah, this one is a bit rough for me.
I know I have friends and family I can lean on, but it's still taking a toll on me. This is the first year since I moved from Kentucky that I've had nowhere else to go for the holidays. We used to trade off holidays, ya know? One year we would visit at Thanksgiving and the next at Christmas. And while I'm enjoying not feeling rushed to go somewhere, it's a big change and I'm afraid I'm not handling it well.
I miss home.
I'm not sure I can quite convey how much growing up in Western Kentucky meant to me. I grew up on the lake. We used to spend early spring through fall camping and fishing. We practically lived outdoors. We spent so much time up at the Land Between the Lakes that it felt like a second home to me.
I was always a pretty active kid. I took ballet and tap for several years and loved it. I played baseball and basketball and enjoyed those as well. But I reached a point where my parents made me make a decision - I could continue with dance and playing sports, or I could spend my summers at the lake.
The lake won. Always.
I've camped in tents. I've camped in pop-up campers. I've camped with no shelter just sleeping under the stars next to a glowing campfire.
I love it all.
I learned so much from my dad about setting up a campsite, about fishing, about guns - because yes, hunting is a way of life there. And when I had my Girl Scout troop, I tried to pass along that knowledge to the girls. With any luck, they still remember some of what they learned and experienced. Hopefully, I helped them develop a love of the outdoors.
I've had several people ask me if I thought I would ever return to Western Kentucky now that my parents have passed. The answer is and always will be yes. I have to. I have to go back and get that infusion. And on top of that, I do still have family and friends in the area.
It's just such a beautiful place. From my hometown I could be at the lake in 45 minutes, Nashville in about an hour and a half, and Missouri or Illinois in 30-40 minutes. It was actually pretty cool growing up where there were so many options for places to go and things to do.
So, yes, I'll be returning. But not this year and that's breaking my heart.
I've been trying to spend a bit more time out walking and hitting some nature areas that are local to me. It's helping, but I'm afraid it's just a stop-gap.
Can I ask you guys to do something? Talk to me. Tell me something you grew up with that you no longer do or no longer have access to that meant the world to you. I would love to hear what you miss and why it meant so much to you.
As always, I encourage responses to my blogs (as well as to anything else I post on social media).
I don't know if I'll blog again before Christmas, so here is my Christmas and holiday wish to you: I wish for you the peacefulness of cherished childhood memories. I wish for you the blessedness that comes with knowing you've touched someone's life and made a difference. I wish for you love, happiness, and peace of mind.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Until next time and as always,
Much unconditional love and happy memories from me to you,
Shelly (a/k/a Dawn Love)
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