Category: Holidays

For You, My Favorite Veteran.

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Karen & I, April 2024 (my birthday weekend and trip back home to Savannah, Georgia).

I’ll never forget that morning
You called me in tears . . .
Painful sobs hit my ears
As I struggled to open my
Eyes and listen to your words.

You thought something
Happened to me–I was unsafe
Or hurt or about to do something
To myself I hadn’t run by
God first, and upon hearing
The pain in your voice, it shook
Me awake.

I could never leave this earth
In a way that would cause
You to worry about my actions.
You deserve full reports and
Regular updates.
We grew from teenagers running
Away from home to adults
Running to our homes and
Love looks good on us.

My beautiful friend, my sister . . .
Thank you for your service–for
The fearless enlisting that would
Swallow twenty years of your life
And have me stand back in awe
Of your choice to serve a nation
That still hates us.

I am proud of you.
You have been an inspiration
And a joy in my life that
Ages like fine wine.

I would war for you without
Hesitation–throw on the full
Armor of God if you were ever
In danger–blood doesn’t bind
Us, but love does.
Experience does.
Grief does.
Healing does.

And if the world doesn’t
Recognize your beauty in
My presence, it will be force-fed
Stories about your existence
To acknowledge it because
It’s the right thing to do.

You survived a system for
Over two decades that never
Had you as its highest priority,
And you lived to recount the details.
You are my hero and forever
Will be.
Happy Veterans Day, Karen!

And Happy Veterans Day to all veterans. Thank you for your service.

Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?

Hello September, You Sexy Thing!

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10-Day Weather Forecast for Winston-Salem, NC.

I am in love with weather that
pulls you into a tight
embrace and offers you time
to appreciate death & dying
for the renewal of strength
and life.

It is shaping up to be the
time of year when animals
scrape at the barrels of
nature to begin their pursuit
of unlimited rest; the time of
year when sun settles
into the clouds a little longer
and wind shimmies in,
performing its best act.

Our walks will be longer.
Our food will be hotter.
Our clothes will be warmer.

And everything that makes up
Autumn will sashay into
the rooms of our hearts, making
this state a bit more tolerable
in the weeks to come.

I will drink in the goodness
of a season that is always
on time.

The dog and the tortoise are
growing old and I am
an ancient soul trapped in
this aging body still yearning
for the Fountain of Youth
to offer its purity in life.

For now, I will take this
shift in weather as a
peace offering until
healing comes at the heels
of our feet.
We’re all eager to walk
this road of life temporarily
unscathed.

I long for Autumn when it is not around, and in just a few weeks, that will be a truth I will love to embrace. Happy September! And Happy Labor Day, if you celebrate. May today be full of rest, relaxing, and enjoying good food, friends, and family.

Peace and blessings.

Two Things Thursday #21

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1. Monday Night Dinner. Photo Collage Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
2. Maxine 4th of July Funny Quote. Image Credit: Pinterest

1. Monday Night’s Dinner was incredibly delicious and was as follows: kale with onions, cherry tomatoes, yellow peppers, and various seasonings, an open-faced baked potato with dairy-free cheese (one thing I hate about the dairy-free cheese is that it takes FOREVER to melt) & butter, salt & pepper, and a mouthwatering steak.

I was so happy to have leftovers of this meal, and if I were completely okay with it, I’d slap myself for how good it was!

I stuck my whole foot in this meal (if you or your relatives are from the South, you’ll know what this saying means)! And I am happy it turned out the way it did–super YUMMY!

2. Maxine 4th of July Funny Quote . . . because, why not?! I love this character and her sassiness and quick-witted retorts! I thought it would be cool to share a funny quote for today and Maxine is a great go-to for this!

For those of you who celebrate, please be safe, have fun, enjoy your family & friends, and also have some great food, too. Please do not let me read about you in the digital papers/magazines or see you on the news!

Peace and blessings.

Fathers, May Today Shine on You

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I have love to give to the many fathers of this world, so here you go.

Photo by Unsplash+ via Unsplash

We are still here; amazed by your existence, charged by your love, and blessed to be in your presence.

For fathers who are fathering the lost, wayward, and weary. For fathers who Uncle their way around their nieces and nephews’ lives more like the ones who contributed to their lives than just the ones connected to them by blood. For fathers brothering their sisters and brothers on a higher scale than they should; around more than Daddy, himself . . .

We love you. We see you. We have no idea what your struggles entail, but we want you to know–what you are doing is not in vain.

To those of you holding on to memories of fathers who have found their way into heaven’s gates, may peace guide you and strengthen you throughout this weekend and the week ahead.

I can say, “I love you” to my dad whenever the sentiment strikes me, and that is an incredible blessing and I do not take it for granted.

Fathers, keep moving. Keep embracing the hearts of your children. Keep your eyes on God’s will for your life. Keep being the father many of us need and so many more of us want.

I assure you, none of it is in vain.

My dad, “Big Mike” & I from my most recent trip home to Savannah, Georgia this past April.

I Mother No One

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Jernee Admiring Her Reflection. ©2024 Tremaine L. Loadholt


I have not given birth to anyone, but I have mothered some; auntied others. I am my dog’s world and my tortoise’s favorite human.

I am a nurturer by default, a giver by God, and a sound and whole lover. I know what I know because I’ve seen what I’ve seen.

To the mothers who have mothered without rest, haven’t had a decent meal in hours, hustling throughout the day from school drop-offs and pickups, and home to make dinner before the streetlights come on.

To those mothering, because they’ve been shoved into that role, forced to take on someone else’s children, eager to adopt the motherless & fatherless. And to the big sisters, big brothers, aunties, and uncles.

To those of you grieving a mother. Crying without sound. Worried if you’ll feel whole again. Living without your mother or mothering human, yet still hurting and longing for their presence, I see you. You are loved and I hope today doesn’t burden you too much.

To mothers of pets cradling their fur babies or singing with their feathered friends or being envious of their reptilian or amphibian creatures. You aren’t lost on me. I know what it takes to keep a pet (s) healthy and not lose your sanity in the process.

To all of you doing what you can, however you can, and whenever you can . . . I hope this Mother’s Day will be a blessing and not a curse. Joy and not sadness. Holy and not evil. And I say that with a love that has no words and cannot be fully described.

You are, every one of you, cherished and admired, and my highest thought of you is one of complete and total adoration.

Peace and blessings.