I’m Erica. I’m a mom of three wild and wonderful kids, married to my best friend for more than a decade. Most days, I’m running the stay-at-home mom circus—juggling snack negotiations, nap protests, and the chaotic symphony of two fur-legged troublemakers, Charlie and Jelly Roll. My house is loud, my coffee is often cold, and my heart—well, it’s not as full as it once was, but it’s still holding on with love and memory.
This space began as a way to speak honestly about what I’ve lived through—growing up, navigating pain, choosing healing. I wanted others to know they weren’t alone in their mess. But after I lost my brother Alan, this blog changed—because I changed.
I didn’t stop healing. I just started doing it with part of my soul missing.
Now this blog is both—part healing journal, part grief letter. I write because I need to. Because sometimes I don’t know what else to do with everything still inside me. And because I believe our stories carry light, even when we feel completely in the dark.
You’ll find all kinds of pieces here: — Letters I still write to Alan. — Emotional check-ins and reflections that help name where we are. — Tattoos, decals, and stitched tributes full of memory and meaning. — Old stories. Sacred ones. Some funny. Some not.
I’m not a therapist. I’m not licensed in anything except honesty. But I’ve lived through enough to know what it feels like to want to scream and instead whisper, “I’m fine.”
This is a space for you, too. To say the things you’ve carried quietly. To be heard. To be held. To be real.
If you ever want to tell your story—anonymously, publicly, scribbled in email—I’ll hold space for it. Because we heal better when we stop pretending we’re not hurting.
This will always be a safe space. No judgment. No shame. Just humanity.
If you are struggling with thoughts of self-harm, please don’t walk through that alone. Help is out there—just a call or a click away. 📞 988 is the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 💬 Chat at 988lifeline.org
You matter. Your story matters. And someone is always listening.
Absolution Ascent Anchor 