Driving Toward the Joy She Left Behind

My drives to Georgia are beautiful… but oh, so bittersweet.

Bitter—because that drive takes me straight into the heart of the place where I lost my daughter.
Every single thing reminds me of her.
The places.
The people.
She introduced me to every part of this Georgia world. Her presence is everywhere… and her absence even louder.

Sweet—because it brings me to the two most precious gifts she left behind:
Her husband and her son.
My son-in-law and my grandson.

Before she left this world, she asked two things of me:
To encourage her husband to find love again someday…
And to make sure her son knows who his mama was.

Those two requests are why—no matter how painful that drive can be—I’ll keep making it.
Because they are part of her.
Because they are part of my purpose now.
And because these two… are absolutely part of my Joy.