Dear Reader:

If you have been to Columbia lately…especially in neighborhoods affected by the storm last month…you have probably seen these signs all around.

The idea, behind the words, shows a united front of storm victims sticking together to rebuild a better future. Everyone who sees it likes the sign and what it represents. South Carolina strong.

Sometimes, we can remain  “SC Strong” while, still, selecting a different path to our problem-solving.

Jackson (when presented with all the facts and numbers from the damage to her home) realized that the option of rebuilding (with no flood insurance to fall back on) would leave her  financially depleted; living only on  hope and a prayer that nothing else happens to her home ever again in her lifetime?

All homeowners know that the price of owning a home comes with a high risk factor… One of the non-perks is an (almost) continuous house & property upkeep expense that soon becomes the norm…not the exception.

Jackson greeted us yesterday with lots of hugs and then told us we needed to talk. She said that after doing her homework, like a good student/teacher, the numbers just didn’t work for her to attempt to start completely over… rebuilding/renovating her home.

She had spent many a sleepless night, tossing and turning this decision over in her mind, but the numbers never changed. She let her son, Matthew, know the day prior (to our visit) and he accepted her decision as a  wise one.

It is always hard to give up our legacy, our home, our past…but there comes a time in everyone’s life that we simply must move on. And that is where Jackson is today.

She has found a wonderful apartment near her familiar neighborhood and school….the part of Columbia that she feels most comfortable in…she made a deposit to hold it while she gets to help pick out new accessories and renovations to update her new “home” ( exciting)… while, hopefully, selling her house/property.

I couldn’t help but remember a little anecdote on the analogy of pulling a tooth and letting go.

If you ever have had to get a tooth pulled (that was too far damaged to save)…you remember, initially, feeling only relief from the pain. Over time, however, you realize that you have a reminder of that missing tooth every time you run your tongue over it…a gap lies there where once the healthy tooth  had taken root…and you can’t help but miss it on occasion.

Rationally you know the price of keeping that damaged tooth would have been too high…it would have continued to cause you pain. After some time passes you know you made the right decision;  it’s time to move on and let go.

Like Matthew, we were all in concurrence with the decision. By leaving one part of Jackson’s life behind…she can now start over with her new life….less stress with no upkeep issues and still close enough to catch occasional glimpses of the past.

Jackson’s street looked eerily like a ghost town yesterday. We soon realized that the facade of the houses was just that…a facade. Everything looked normal until you realized that there was nothing inside of them….they had all been gutted and left to the owners to make a decision on their future in this or another neighborhood.

It was emotional….we are only human and associate this home with so many fond memories…and, of course, there was the feeling (especially for Brooke and me) that this, most likely, would be the last time we would see our friend’s home.

You might remember that one of the quirky things still standing immediately after the flood was Jackson’s bottle tree…with just one bottle still on it. Today it is completely covered with bottles because neighbors kept finding them while cleaning up (some of these bottles were not even Jackson’s to begin with) and bringing them to her. It became a symbol of the unity and love of neighbors.

Jackson’s flag had fallen and Matthew placed it in a tree where Old Glory could continue flying over the free and the brave.

It is strange how small a house looks with walls and furniture gone…but it was important to see it in all its starkness, tell it good-bye, thanks for the memories, and then go look at the location of Jackson’s new home. We all loved it…no pictures yet of it until Jackson lives there.

Then we met Linda, Libby’s sister, at California Dreaming and had a spectacular lunch  We were all ready to eat, get our strength, and gear up for what the future brings our Jackson… and all of us!

We did one regular pose, then one funny face….Brooke took the funny category…”face down.”

So until tomorrow…. To our special friend, Jackson, on a birthday that will go down in the annals of Ya Ya history… as the day the past faded and the future brightened.

“Surrender to what is, Let go of what was, Have faith in what will be.” – Ricotti

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Today is Betsy Clarkson Crick’s birthday, Libby’s daughter, and as many of you know this is quite a birthday to celebrate….her five stones “felled” the giant and rare cancer she faced. What a special woman…what a special birthday!