It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than a decade since my dad took his own life. It feels like just yesterday, yet at the same time, it feels like a lifetime ago. It’s been a long and bumpy healing journey, but the two most important things I’ve learned along the way are 1) Joy is never hard to find, and 2) Never pass up an opportunity to tell someone they matter.

Mary Lou, or Lou Lou as her grandchildren call her, is one of my most creative friends. When Wyatt, her grandson who works here at The Coffee Loft, mentioned that his Lou Lou had been painting for a few years and showed me some of her paintings on his phone, I knew she was the one to give me art lessons.