For Him, From Me.
I’ve rewritten this in my head a hundred times—how to explain something that means so much, feels so personal, and yet somehow already belongs to more than just me. Dear Poppy was born out of the deepest kind of love—the kind that’s steady, quiet, and lasts long after someone’s gone. My grandpa, Poppy, was the heart of our family. He never met a stranger. He made people feel seen, welcomed, important—without ever needing to be the center of attention. He was gentle. Present. Funny in the simplest, most perfect ways. And he was mine. My biggest fan. My soft place. My best friend in a thousand quiet ways.
He never failed to say, “Come here, gimme a hug.” And somehow, it always made everything okay. One more hug would melt me. One more laugh, one more conversation—what I would give for that. I yearn for the day I see him again. He always loved the song See You Again by Carrie Underwood… and now, I can’t hear it without crying. But I hold onto that hope with everything I have—I will see him again. Until then, I carry him the best way I know how… One day at a time.
There are still so many things I want to tell him. And that’s where Dear Poppy came from. It lets me keep talking to him. Keep honoring him. Keep living the kind of joy he gave so freely. He didn’t wait for big moments to show love. He found it in the everyday. In showing up. In noticing. In waving at strangers who always waved back. That’s the spirit I want to carry into this space.
This is where I share the things I love—the cozy favorites, the everyday magic, the simple joys that make life feel a little softer. The kind of things Poppy would’ve handed me just because he thought I might need it. If nothing else, I hope this reminds you to hold the ones you love close. Never push away. Don’t wait to say the good things. Don’t rush past the small stuff. That’s where the love lives.
This is for him.
And for you.
Key Takeaways:
The best parts of life are usually the simplest.
Love deeply. Show up. Pay attention.
Say “gimme a hug” and mean it.
Hold the people you love close—never push them away.
Joy doesn’t have to be big to be real.
