01/14/2026
2026 was supposed to be the year I finally started taking my freelance business more seriously. I was in the midst of launching my website, building something I have dreamed about for years, and leaning into the work that truly lights me up.
On January 1st, my dad suddenly passed away.
The last couple of weeks have been filled with grief, missing him deeply, and remembering him in every quiet moment. And it is funny how life works. The choices we make shape everything that comes after them.
When I was a little girl, I had a choice. I could stay in the city, or I could move out to the middle of nowhere and live with my dad. I chose my dad.
We spent years together out in the bush of Hillside Beach with no internet, just a TV, a truck, and a love for each other that grew every day. If I had not made that choice, I would not have gone to Selkirk High School. I would not have discovered a program called Advertising Arts. I would not have fallen in love with graphic design. I would not have gone to Red River College a few years later to turn that love into a career.
My dad drove me to classes. He bought me my textbooks. He sent me job postings when I was looking for work. He let me live with him after I graduated so I could spend my summers working on my portfolio and building something for myself out at the lake.
And somehow, because I chose that path, I even met my boyfriend. I recognized him from high school, and that one moment added an entirely new layer to my adult life and my future.
Weeks before my dad passed, I told him my business goals and plans for this year. That was always his dream for me. To run my own business. To build something that was mine.
I did not realize how much of everything I have done in this life was to make him proud.
I hope that as I move through this grief, my passion for design and for my career continues to grow. Even though he is not here anymore, I still want to make him proud.
Thanks, Dad. For everything. 🤍