On August 13, 2014 our world changed forever. Jimmy and I woke up, cleaned the house, dropped the kids off at my grandmothers and went to work. However, around 3:00 our worlds changed forever. Jimmy was in a fatal accident while at work. He worked for the North Carolina Forest Service. I still remember the call that he had been in an accident like it was just a few moments ago. I fortunately was at work with some remarkably strong friends who stood by me as I received the news that he was gone. From there it was whirlwind. Telling his family, my family...holding my babies. Emma was only 2 and a half at the time, Coleman was 5 months old. We received a tremendous amount of support from our family, friends, the North Carolina Forest Service, church, Masonic lodge and complete strangers. I was a doctoral student at Gardner-Webb at the time of the accident, taking classes while working at Burke County Public Schools as a behavior specialist. A few weeks after the accident, I returned to work and attempted to continue work on my dissertation. God had placed Dr. Sydney Brown in my life, at just the right time. She held me accountable, cried with me and pushed me. On May 29th I defended my dissertation and on August 1st, 2015 I graduated with my Doctorate in Education. Shortly thereafter I resigned from Burke County Public Schools to step out in faith in one of the craziest decisions of my life. Less than a year than the accident, I felt God was calling me to something else. All the doors were opening and I was challenged to step through. I followed what I felt was God's path, quit a permanent, stable job and opened Me You and Some Glue Creative Art Studio in a small town in western North Carolina, unsure of my future. I was again blessed with an enormous amount of support in this endeavor. Time has passed and we are quickly approaching two years since our opening. Since the day we opened with grand ideas and buckets of hope, we have grown in many ways. With multiple staff members and instructors we are ever-changing. We most recently added Textiles.....beginning the addition of Sunshine Courage Quilts.
On August 19, 2016...just a few days after the 2 year anniversary of the accident. Sharon, our textile instructor and I were delivering pottery to schools and were discussing ways to connect the community with the quilts. From there, we discussed creating quilts for children of the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Association. Jimmy was inducted into this prestigous group of men and women in May of 2015. This group recognizes the sacrifice men and women make while serving their communities. It is an emotionally-charged ceremony highlighting the dangers our firefighters face daily. It was on this day, Emma received a flag for her Daddy. I will never forget her tiny body accepting the flag and rose from all those seemingly huge, uniformed men, while I held Coleman, who had recently just turned a year old. My eyes fill with tears remembering those bittersweet moments.
When sharing the idea of the quilts with Emma, she immediately said it would be great since you can't sleep with the flag they give you. Emma was four and certainly an old soul. We discussed naming this project and after several suggestions she thought of Sunshine...something with sunshine. Sharon and I texted her sweet thoughts until almost 11:00 that night. Emma liked the sunshine because we sing "You are my sunshine" and it always makes her feel better. The next morning, she awoke with a better idea, according to her....we should call them courage quilts....no....sunshine courage....I want to give them to the kids and say "I love you, God loves you and have good courage." From there, we have Sunshine Courage Quilts.
I am humbled and blessed to have this opportunity, to have such sweet babies, and to have the chance to meet new people through this endeavor. It is our goal to be able give quilts at the upcoming North Carolina Fallen Firefighter ceremony in May 2016.
On August 19, 2016...just a few days after the 2 year anniversary of the accident. Sharon, our textile instructor and I were delivering pottery to schools and were discussing ways to connect the community with the quilts. From there, we discussed creating quilts for children of the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Association. Jimmy was inducted into this prestigous group of men and women in May of 2015. This group recognizes the sacrifice men and women make while serving their communities. It is an emotionally-charged ceremony highlighting the dangers our firefighters face daily. It was on this day, Emma received a flag for her Daddy. I will never forget her tiny body accepting the flag and rose from all those seemingly huge, uniformed men, while I held Coleman, who had recently just turned a year old. My eyes fill with tears remembering those bittersweet moments.
When sharing the idea of the quilts with Emma, she immediately said it would be great since you can't sleep with the flag they give you. Emma was four and certainly an old soul. We discussed naming this project and after several suggestions she thought of Sunshine...something with sunshine. Sharon and I texted her sweet thoughts until almost 11:00 that night. Emma liked the sunshine because we sing "You are my sunshine" and it always makes her feel better. The next morning, she awoke with a better idea, according to her....we should call them courage quilts....no....sunshine courage....I want to give them to the kids and say "I love you, God loves you and have good courage." From there, we have Sunshine Courage Quilts.
I am humbled and blessed to have this opportunity, to have such sweet babies, and to have the chance to meet new people through this endeavor. It is our goal to be able give quilts at the upcoming North Carolina Fallen Firefighter ceremony in May 2016.
