Please remember to stay safe this week! There are Please remember to stay safe this week! There are a lot of things happening in DC and all over the USA. Stay vigilant, stay away from people whenever possible, and stay home if and when you can! Also, remember that is it perfectly acceptable to celebrate tomorrow. These past four years have felt like a lifetime. We still have so many steps to take to make this nation a truly accepting, fair, and free place but let's hold on to the little happy moments along the way until we get there.
As a born and raised Orlandoean (is that what we s As a born and raised Orlandoean (is that what we should call ourselves?!) I haven't ever really experienced a winter season. I've enjoyed winter many times while in many different cities including, Edinburgh, London, NYC, and Boston. But I've never lived in winter day in and day out. After a week it was always time to fly home to my palm trees and theme parks. This winter is the first time that I am experiencing cold temperatures daily and often experiencing grey skies. It's only been about two weeks and I have to admit that it is a huge adjustment. But I am doing my best to embrace the season and stay as cozy as possible. I am used to being outside as often as possible in winter while hibernating with the A/C running all summer. So I guess now I will be reversing those habits and bundling up until spring gets here.
For my birthday I wanted one thing and one thing o For my birthday I wanted one thing and one thing only, @hipcityveg. Although I still miss all my favorite Orlando foodie places, I am so excited to finally be so close to a Hip City Veg location. It's my all-time favorite plant-based restaurant and I have been craving this vegan milkshake for months! If you haven't been yet and you are in DC or Philadelphia, go right now!
I'm currently reflecting on a very wild year. This I'm currently reflecting on a very wild year. This last trip around the sun was during a very difficult time in our world but I can't personally complain much about the last 365 days. I thought I would be taking over as the lead on a contract at a Disney hotel as their main wedding photographer. I had been photographing weddings there for years but covid had other plans. Instead, I watched as the entire world shut down around me, only for the hotel to reopen as a part of the NBA bubble. So I decided to jump headfirst into running a product-based business. It's something I wanted to do for years and yet I could never quite seem to muster up the nerve to fully go after that dream. I launched my first collection of candles, sold out in days, and things have been steadily growing since then for @kismetandcharisma. After finally going after my dream of switching from service-based to product-based, I co-founded a nonprofit. This has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and the stars finally aligned to bring it to light. Along with my best friend, Anna, I co-founded @LoveDoesntHurtInc. It has already healed me in ways I never thought possible and I can't wait to see what our nonprofit does for other people. I also consistently recorded @heartandhustlepodcast all year alongside my ride or die, @studio404design. Outside of work, I adopted the sweetest little pup ever as a present for my husband's quarantine birthday (best present ever). I didn't finish writing my own book but I managed to read quite a few other books. I battled anxiety as usual but I managed to learn when to turn the news off and FaceTime a friend instead of continuing to doomscroll. I also convinced my husband to leave OCPS to work for a school district that would like to keep him alive during the pandemic, which resulted in us relocating to the DC area. Here's hoping that this trip around the sun is filled with the same amount of professional success but WAY more hugs.
Lately, I have been getting acquainted with some o Lately, I have been getting acquainted with some of the local coffee shops in DC and NOVA. You would never know that I don't like coffee by how often I am spending money in coffee shops. I do, however, love just about every tea I come across. Earthy, fruity, sweet, bitter, it doesn't matter. I love them all. Any other tea lovers out there? Do you like coffee and tea or just one or the other?
This year is off to a wild start. I literally star This year is off to a wild start. I literally started the New Year on the road, driving somewhere just south of Raleigh. We slept in Raleigh for a few hours and then finished the drive to our new home in the DMV. We have been here just over a week now which feels pretty hard to believe. In some ways, it feels shorter and in others, it feels much longer. I don't feel at home yet but yesterday was a beautiful day and definitely the best one that I have had since we moved here. It definitely has me feeling hopeful. I know that this year won't magically be better than last year but I am going to be doing everything I can to make it a better year for myself and everyone I know.
Instagram post 18186913066037488 Instagram post 18186913066037488
Saying goodbye to Christmas and Orlando at the sam Saying goodbye to Christmas and Orlando at the same time is going to be incredibly difficult! πŸ’”
Merry Christmas from our favorite little polar bea Merry Christmas from our favorite little polar bear. πŸ€πŸŽ„
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Personal · October 15, 2014

Love, Life, and Loss in the Land of the Living

Loss changes you. None of us have any control over that. However, it is HOW it changes us that we have control over.

As many of you already know through social media, last week I lost my grandfather. It still seems surreal to talk about even though it is something that we all were expecting to happen for quite some time. Regardless of how much you prepare for the death of a loved one, it can still feel unbelievable once it actually happens.

Growing up without a father meant that I was even closer to both of my grandparents than most people are. It always felt like I had three parents instead of one. My grandparents managed to make it to every chorus concert, every dance recital, every cheerleading competition, and every other event that I was performing in or involved in. Multiple times a week they would make me dinner, read me bedtime stories, and tuck me into bed at night. They taught me about musicals, theater, old movies, traveling, and art. They grew up in a completely different era and they brought the best of it to me.

When my grandmother died in 2008, I was completely heartbroken. It was a horrible time in my life and I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to get by in this world without her knowledge, her kindness, and her smile. My grandfather was the one who really helped me get through that time. I always managed to be strong in front of my husband, brothers, and mother, but when I would hug my grandfather, I would fall apart. He was the last person who I should have fallen apart in front of because he had just lost the love of his life. However, his incredible strength made me feel like I could actually express my grief.

The first time I went to visit my grandfather by myself after my grandmother had died, I was terrified. I drove up a winding driveway that I had been in a thousand times before but I knew that once I walked through that door and she wasn’t on the other side, her death would feel even more real. I cried in the car for 20 minutes before I had the courage to actually walk through the door. I greeted my grandfather with a hug and I sat down in my normal spot at the kitchen counter. My grandfather stood across from me and handed me a glass of water, something my grandmother would have normally done.

We talked about how much we both missed her and he told me thatΒ he felt incomplete because he was missing his other half. He told me what he had told me many times before, that one day, we will all die. He had been warning me since I was young, to prepare me for a life without my grandparents, but it was only at that moment that I actually understood him for the first time. This time he also told me that he wasn’t afraid to die. He assured me that when his time came, he would be ready and I would have to be, too. I told him that I would work on it but I wasn’t quite ready to say good bye to him yet. So for the last six years, we have continued those talks.

My grandfather and I could discuss anything under the sun and we certainly did. We discussed politics, religion, race, gay marriage, travel, art, business, economics, and the meaning of life. My grandfather kept tabs on all of the members of our large family and he still managed to help me with my college algebra homework, well into his 80’s. He taught me about investing, home ownership, marriage, and technology. He managed to have good advice for any situation I managed to get myself into and he always knew the right way to present information that I didn’t really want to hear.

Now that he is gone, I’m find myself thinking about him telling me so many times that none of us live on this earth forever. I know he was preparing me for life without him and my grandmother but I also think he was telling me to make sure that I live my life to the fullest extent. My grandfather lived a full life. He married the love of his life, had seven children, twenty-two grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. He had an amazing career, friends from all around the world, and tons of adventures. He saw most of his favorite art in person, heard many of his favorite songs performed live, and made more amazing memories than many people get the chance to. My grandpa always said, “No one makes it out of this world alive.” The truth is, any of us would be lucky to have a life as full as both of my grandparents did and none of us will make it out of this world alive. I plan to make the most out of my time here and follow the examples my grandparents set for me. That means traveling to new places, dancing in the living room, saying hello to strangers, breaking out into song, reading more books than most law students, never forgetting a loved one’s birthday, and celebrating every holiday like it’s the last day on earth.

Loss does change us but I am going to let it make me more patient, more thoughtful, stronger, and thankful.

gpame

 

 

In: Personal · Tagged: family, loss, Personal, struggle

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Hi! I'm Charisma, a creative entrepreneur who loves to help others reach their full potential. I'm a photographer, a writer, and the owner of Kismet + Charisma, an online boutique that pairs minimalist, cozy, boho style with activism. In my little corner of the internet you'll find my latest travels, what I'm currently reading, how I practing Black joy as resistence, and how I'm finding hygge in my daily life. Pull up a chair, grab a cup of tea, and stay awhile.

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Please remember to stay safe this week! There are Please remember to stay safe this week! There are a lot of things happening in DC and all over the USA. Stay vigilant, stay away from people whenever possible, and stay home if and when you can! Also, remember that is it perfectly acceptable to celebrate tomorrow. These past four years have felt like a lifetime. We still have so many steps to take to make this nation a truly accepting, fair, and free place but let's hold on to the little happy moments along the way until we get there.
As a born and raised Orlandoean (is that what we s As a born and raised Orlandoean (is that what we should call ourselves?!) I haven't ever really experienced a winter season. I've enjoyed winter many times while in many different cities including, Edinburgh, London, NYC, and Boston. But I've never lived in winter day in and day out. After a week it was always time to fly home to my palm trees and theme parks. This winter is the first time that I am experiencing cold temperatures daily and often experiencing grey skies. It's only been about two weeks and I have to admit that it is a huge adjustment. But I am doing my best to embrace the season and stay as cozy as possible. I am used to being outside as often as possible in winter while hibernating with the A/C running all summer. So I guess now I will be reversing those habits and bundling up until spring gets here.
For my birthday I wanted one thing and one thing o For my birthday I wanted one thing and one thing only, @hipcityveg. Although I still miss all my favorite Orlando foodie places, I am so excited to finally be so close to a Hip City Veg location. It's my all-time favorite plant-based restaurant and I have been craving this vegan milkshake for months! If you haven't been yet and you are in DC or Philadelphia, go right now!
I'm currently reflecting on a very wild year. This I'm currently reflecting on a very wild year. This last trip around the sun was during a very difficult time in our world but I can't personally complain much about the last 365 days. I thought I would be taking over as the lead on a contract at a Disney hotel as their main wedding photographer. I had been photographing weddings there for years but covid had other plans. Instead, I watched as the entire world shut down around me, only for the hotel to reopen as a part of the NBA bubble. So I decided to jump headfirst into running a product-based business. It's something I wanted to do for years and yet I could never quite seem to muster up the nerve to fully go after that dream. I launched my first collection of candles, sold out in days, and things have been steadily growing since then for @kismetandcharisma. After finally going after my dream of switching from service-based to product-based, I co-founded a nonprofit. This has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and the stars finally aligned to bring it to light. Along with my best friend, Anna, I co-founded @LoveDoesntHurtInc. It has already healed me in ways I never thought possible and I can't wait to see what our nonprofit does for other people. I also consistently recorded @heartandhustlepodcast all year alongside my ride or die, @studio404design. Outside of work, I adopted the sweetest little pup ever as a present for my husband's quarantine birthday (best present ever). I didn't finish writing my own book but I managed to read quite a few other books. I battled anxiety as usual but I managed to learn when to turn the news off and FaceTime a friend instead of continuing to doomscroll. I also convinced my husband to leave OCPS to work for a school district that would like to keep him alive during the pandemic, which resulted in us relocating to the DC area. Here's hoping that this trip around the sun is filled with the same amount of professional success but WAY more hugs.
Lately, I have been getting acquainted with some o Lately, I have been getting acquainted with some of the local coffee shops in DC and NOVA. You would never know that I don't like coffee by how often I am spending money in coffee shops. I do, however, love just about every tea I come across. Earthy, fruity, sweet, bitter, it doesn't matter. I love them all. Any other tea lovers out there? Do you like coffee and tea or just one or the other?
This year is off to a wild start. I literally star This year is off to a wild start. I literally started the New Year on the road, driving somewhere just south of Raleigh. We slept in Raleigh for a few hours and then finished the drive to our new home in the DMV. We have been here just over a week now which feels pretty hard to believe. In some ways, it feels shorter and in others, it feels much longer. I don't feel at home yet but yesterday was a beautiful day and definitely the best one that I have had since we moved here. It definitely has me feeling hopeful. I know that this year won't magically be better than last year but I am going to be doing everything I can to make it a better year for myself and everyone I know.
Instagram post 18186913066037488 Instagram post 18186913066037488
Saying goodbye to Christmas and Orlando at the sam Saying goodbye to Christmas and Orlando at the same time is going to be incredibly difficult! πŸ’”
Merry Christmas from our favorite little polar bea Merry Christmas from our favorite little polar bear. πŸ€πŸŽ„
Merry Christmas! I hope your day is filled with jo Merry Christmas! I hope your day is filled with joy and laughter. πŸŽ„β˜ƒοΈπŸ•―

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