life is but a dream.

i wanted to remember how it felt to stand here. 

to hold this. 
 
& to honor and say farewell to two people who inspired me to remember what really matters in life. my aunt vickie had the brightest smile and the kindest heart. no, seriously. she was the most selfless person i've ever known. mawaw (my grandmother) was the sweetest woman and the biggest fan of her entire family - and especially her 7 children. my aunt vickie found out only a few months ago that she had terminal pancreatic cancer. she fought long and hard but eventually passed away peacefully in hospice having spent her last days surrounded by people who loved her. mamaw was in the midst of recovering from a surgery to restore the use of her arm. she was doing well but the news of vickie's passing really broke her heart. they were inseparable. for as long as i can remember, vickie took care of mamaw. they lived together. they ate together. they traveled together. they were best friends. five days after vickie passed away, mamaw had a heart attack and passed away unexpectedly. we all felt the loss. i traveled to florida with my dad for the double memorial and family service of spreading their ashes on a beach they were fond of near their home. they were together, like always. 

the outpour of support from family all over the country and from their church community and beloved friends was a testament to the kind of friends they were and how they lived & loved. my dad and i, and a couple other relatives stayed in the house that they shared while we were in florida. vickie collected angels that filled the house with a reminder of their spirit and their beauty. family and friends made the void that now existed a little less empty. i wanted to remember how it felt to be there, remember the little things that reminded me of them and the little things that made them who they were. so i brought my camera along and when i saw something i wanted to hold on to, i captured it. here are a few of those things. 

this one really looks like vickie.

this brought a lot of peace. music, the great communicator.

vickie had 6 brothers, many of them musicians. she was always their biggest fan.

i love this.

this little one kept us all smiling.

at the end of the family gathering we had on the beach, we released monarch butterflies in their memory. it was beautiful. this particular one wanted to stay a just a little bit longer...

as my dad and i were leaving on the last day, i looked up into the sky and these two trails looked like they were coming right out of the top of their house. pretty cool.

until next time vickie & mamaw - you are loved and remembered in the brightest of lights. always.