About

I am a mother of three, sharing my journey of hope and survival following the loss of our son...

  • Looking back...

    TG & the three

    This time five years ago, John and I were locked in a serious disagreement over whether or not Brian should be allowed to go to the beach over spring break with his friends…without us being there too. I had quite a few reservations about it, as I knew exactly what he would be up to along with hundreds (if not thousands) of other ‘loosely’ chaperoned teens. In the end, against my wishes, John consented and off B went. He had the time of his life and thankf...

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    Apr. 02, 2013 | Permalink | Carolina Sonshine

  • A Lesson Learned...

    Playing Friendly

    Beth was babysitting recently and while watching the children as they played outside, things took an abrupt turn… The hurtful words flew out of the young woman’s mouth and hung ominously in the air… She obviously spoke out of annoyance and anger without really considering what she was saying or who all was there to hear what she said; had she given a passing thought to anything more than impressing her friends, she probably would have kept her...

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    Mar. 24, 2013 | Permalink | Carolina Sonshine

  • At a crossroad...

    Bracelets for Brian

      After we lost Brian, I truly believed that in time, some sort of purpose or mission for my life would be revealed. And it was. Since then, I’ve spent nearly four years defining and refining my efforts to raise awareness with teenagers and their families about the dangers of cellular distraction while driving. The simple fact of the matter is this: no one should lose their life over the press of a button. To date, I have focused most of my energy...

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    Mar. 18, 2013 | Permalink | Carolina Sonshine

  • Adapting...

    Back to School

      When I was younger and thought I knew it all, I held very strong opinions and ideas about most everything… It was difficult to persuade me to change my mind once it was set, as I believed I had life basically figured out. Nowadays I’m older and hopefully a smidge wiser; I’ve learned that as circumstances change, so must I… Once my job was eliminated last fall, I struggled with what to do; although my actual working with John rema...

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    Mar. 13, 2013 | Permalink | Carolina Sonshine

  • 'Fraidy Cat

    Grae & her cat

    Do you stand and fight or turn and take flight when given an awful fright? Beth had been cat-sitting for our friend Sue for several days when Gracie took over... On Monday evening after work, she went over to feed and settle Willie for the night. While rinsing out the kitty food bowls, Grace heard someone or something moving around upstairs…after a beat, she realized it wasn’t Sue’s cat making the noise… Flight, definite...

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    Mar. 07, 2013 | Permalink | Carolina Sonshine

  • Unexpected reactions...

    Sisters

    If you were to walk into our home right now, you wouldn’t know that one of our family is missing, save for the single light shining in his window. We’ve settled into a new normal, more or less, navigating most days and nights without the drama of early on, at least until something beyond our recent baseline pops up… None of us can reliably predict how we will react to any sudden surprise situation. Beth came in around 11:00 Monday night, feeling gener...

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    Mar. 04, 2013 | Permalink | Carolina Sonshine

  • Grace is...

    Rainbow Promises

      I glanced at the line of cars in front of me, all of us waiting for the light to turn green… I noticed a young man standing on the side of the off ramp, trying to look nonchalant in the misting rain as he shifted from one foot to the other, like he wanted to run away, but couldn’t quite get the momentum up to actually leave. After a few minutes, he approached several cars nearest the intersection, presumably to accept whatever those drivers were willin...

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    Feb. 26, 2013 | Permalink | Carolina Sonshine

  • Slow and Steady Wins...

    Baby Turtles Gradually Coming Out...

      Yesterday morning I became really irate after an off-hand comment was lobbed in my direction… The gist of it was something like this: “Now, you know we can’t be procrastinating on this deal; we’ve got to get moving on it, have things underway out there before next week.” As if. A wave of heat rushed through me, bringing me to an abrupt halt in mid-stride; I turned around and confronted the offending party… “Exa...

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    Feb. 22, 2013 | Permalink

  • Love Is...

    Love Is...

    Love is…saving some hot water for the next person's shower… Love is…slipping between freshly laundered sheets after an especially long day… Love is…cooking two extra slices of bacon to share with your wife every morning… Love is…a box of Spree candy from your daughter… Love is…Chick-Fil-A sweet tea from your other daughter… ...

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    Feb. 16, 2013 | Permalink | Carolina Sonshine

  • A Loyal Friend

    Photo courtesy of S Shaunessy

    “What happened? Did you pocket-dial me by mistake?” Grace asked, laughing as she spoke… “Nope, not at all; I called you on purpose!” was his reply… “I wondered if I could come by tonight or tomorrow. It’s been a while…” “Well, yeah! I’ll let Mom & Dad know, they’ll want to see you too!” Which we did. Want to see him. It ha...

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    Feb. 14, 2013 | Permalink | Carolina Sonshine
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