Grief isn’t a path you can prepare for; you learn to navigate it because there is no other choice.

In this post, I invite you to step into the vibrant world of my daughter Tiare’s high school years—a time marked by milestones, close friendships, and dreams just beginning to take shape. Through my perspective, you’ll discover the joys and challenges that colored her teenage life: the excitement of cheer tryouts and prom, the laughter shared with her best friend Dacotah, and the early sparks of her passion for fashion. As you read, I hope you’ll feel the warmth, hope, and love that surrounded these moments, while also understanding the heartbreak that forever changed our family. Above all, this is a tribute to Tiare’s indomitable spirit and a reminder to cherish every fleeting moment with the ones we love.

When Bill and I first set our sights on New England, I knew we were embracing more than a change of scenery. We were uprooting the life we had built in Hawaii—my canoe club friendships, children’s routines, and familiar faces—and planting ourselves into unfamiliar terrain: a cramped Lowell duplex in chilly November. As I raced across the ocean to Oahu for my final canoe race, I had no idea how that final paddle would mark both an ending and a beginning. In this post, I share the awkward dinners, improvised bunk beds, cross-country moves and unexpected joys that taught me how to nurture family bonds and forge routines when starting over.