In the summer of 2016, I lost a very dear friend and I lost my grandmother. They were both the sort of people that no one would want to lose, they were motivators, role models, and all around pillars of what it is to be a woman. They pushed others to be the best versions of themselves, and its been one of the hardest summers of my life to be without both of them.

It's been such a long time, and I know that my depression has creeped into a lot of the work that I did in those few months that I took off, but I wouldn't truly be Amanda's friend or Bernadine's granddaughter if I didn't push myself to keep expressing myself.

Thank you both for helping me to be a stronger person, for teaching me that vulnerability isn't weakness, and for giving me the push (or hip-check, or pinch in the arm) to get me out of bed and out the door.

I love you.

Fleaze