I’m often asked what our business name stands for.
The short, is that 6.26 stands for my favorite bible verse.
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? - Matthew 6.26
Although the real MEANING behind our business name, is so much more to me.
Just a warning, it’s real and it’s messy and it’s our life... it may be too much for some of y’all, you may feel triggered if you’ve had fertility issues... but I hope you know you’re not alone.
Back when Nick and I first got married in 2012, we were eager to start a family. After trying... practicing... 🤣 for forever... it finally happened!
We were ecstatic to find out we were pregnant in early December 2014!
My parents were coming into town on their way to Baltimore to see my paternal Grandfather in the hospital. He wasn’t doing well.
It was because of that Nick and I decided to share our news immediately. We had experienced the loss of my two maternal grandparents the year prior and knew that every moment mattered, so we wanted to share our joy.
I had been working on painting a jewelry box for my mom, and tucked into one of the drawers were a pair of baby socks and a note that they were going to be grandparents.
I could barely wait to give it to her and I practically shoved it in her face when they got to our house.
We jumped up and down and screamed and celebrated!
Finally! A baby was on the way!
However, our joy was cut short when my grandfather started to take a turn for the worse. My parents left to join him and when they got to the hospital they called so we could share our news with my dad’s side of the family. My Grandfather sounded so excited. I swear I can still hear his smile.
That night we lost him.
I remember being super emotional (duh, early pregnancy)
But then I started to feel.. different...
Sometime throughout the night I had started bleeding...
And I was pretty inconsolable from that point on.
Most of it’s a blur.
I know Nick was amazing. He just held me as I literally fell apart in his arms all night...
We went to Doctor the next morning and they confirmed what I already knew in my heart.
No more baby.
The next few days were a blur as I went through the motions at my Grandfather’s funeral, still bleeding and silently mourning for our own baby.
I was a wreck. I had lost friends and family... but nothing could’ve ever prepared me for this. Losing every hope for that baby, for our future little family. Our fairy tale was shattered.
Its hard to even remember events surrounding that time, just overwhelming sadness. I rarely remember dreams, but I vividly remember one night I dreamt of my Grandfather sitting on a hill at Fort McHenry, with a sandy haired baby. When I woke up and just knew our baby was okay.
But I was still BROKEN. I couldn’t make sense of it all.
I was lucky—— blessed by Nick, to be able to work my pet sitting business and try to put my pieces back together.
I was blessed to have some sweet friends with me for the adventures on lonely days.
I met a sweet lady with a Faith based business the year before while thrifting- and wouldn’t ya know- the first store I stepped back into, her friendly face was the one that greeted me.
God began planting these little seeds in my heart to shows me his love again...
I finally started to look up.
I’m not super spiritual, but I definitely believe in my God being an active and living God. He works for my goodness, sending signs of love and encouragement when I need it and BOY was He sending some signs my way.
Matthew 6.26 permeated my life.
I saw it EVERY where.
Among Thrifted Paintings and Books.
In the Beautiful Birds divinely positioned in my path.
The Jenny Wren singing every morning at my window.
Eagles and Ospreys soaring over me.
The little nest in our garage.
I started to get back into furniture painting and repurposing, bringing new life to forgotten finds and decided to name my business 6.26 Designs.
Just as Mother’s Day approached, we found out we were pregnant again. My Mom and I joined My Aunt for a Mother’s Day Tea and I snuggled my little bump while rocking on the veranda of Belle Grove and daydreamed of future tea parties with our own babe.
But before we even had a chance to tell our friends, I started to feel different again... and we lost that baby as well.
..
Gods plans are divine, but they are not MINE. I constantly need to remember that...
It wasn’t my plan to get taken advantage of and have to sue my first employer out of college...
It wasn’t my plan to fail my first business attempt... or my second... or my third...
it wasn’t my plan to lose our first babies..
It wasn’t my plan to battle depression and anxiety.
But it was God’s.
It was God’s plan to teach me to trust myself and more importantly, Him.
To learn to really rely on Him and turn to Him, not away.
It was His plan to move people in and out of my life to create a beautifully woven story.
It was all his plan.
And for all of the heartache - the JOY did come in the morning!
I let go of the control I always thought I needed.
We went to church.
We moved to the beach.
We focused on each other and being happy.
And wouldn’t you know...
Another seed...
We became pregnant with our sweet baby boy.
And 3 years later, our sweet baby girl, born on 6/26.
Now, as I hear the birds singing while I chase our son around the backyard with our daughter giggling in my arms, I amreminded of the love and hope that God delivered to me.
I know every step of our lives feels so uncertain right now, but I HAVE take comfort in what I already know.
If He takes care of the birds, He’s surely got me!
