Life Since Sixth Street
Well Guys, it’s my first blog post. My turn has come to be the sister to write. For those of you who don’t know, I am the oldest Dawahare of the 5 kids- 4 girls and then our little prince. I have been going back and forth with what to write all week- it’s been a while since I have written much of anything other than an email lately. As I sit here on my couch, only able to breathe from my mouth because I am still fighting the crazy, mutated viruses that kids bring home from daycares, I am surprisingly relieved to be writing for fun. Sixth Street and Beyond is going to be good for me. It is going to force me to reflect, respond, and the best part of it all- share something fun with my sisters.
Sometimes it seems like yesterday that I was living on Sixth Street. It’s hard to believe I have been a “Nashvillian” for 10 years now- 10 YEARS! We had the absolute best childhood known to man. Many people affectionately called our block, Mayberry because in the summer there would be 20+ kids outside playing, epic games of kick the can, night swimming in the pool across the street, catching fireflies in jars with holes in the lids, and pretty much every quintessential thing you would imagine about growing up in a small town. That Sixth Street girl is still very much alive inside of me. I think the love of great community is what has actually kept me in Nashville all of these years.
Unlike a lot of people who move away after college, I stayed, and so did a lot of my friends. I met my husband, Braden, during the spring semester of my senior year at Belmont University while waiting tables at a restaurant. I served him on his birthday, insisting he get a birthday dessert even when he said “no” twice. Finally I said, “Hey, it’s free, so if you don’t pick one I will pick one for you.” For some reason my overwhelming charm didn’t win him over that night. He actually wasn’t that in to me right away-says it had something to do with me being a “classical music nerd,” but that aside, there weren’t many days after that spent apart from each other. I realized a couple of video games and documentaries later who the real nerd in the relationship was. A couple of years later we were married, we had joined our church, Nashville Life, where we still call home, and about two years after that we found out we were pregnant with our now 15-month-old, Elias. Obviously a lot happened between now and then, but that is the short version. Life is good…Really good, and I have Sixth Street to thank for a lot of it. Tight-knit community shaped me when I was very young, and it is still shaping me today. I have found that community here in Nashville and it has started to feel like home. I will always have my Kentucky roots, but I am having fun growing some new roots as well. Yes, Nashville is known for its music scene and is considered a big city if you live in a small town, but I would call it a big, small town. I see someone I know almost every time I go to the grocery store or Target. Also, serious question: Why is it that you always look horrible when you run into people? I can be looking great, good hair day, cute outfit, and I won’t see a single soul I recognize, but the minute I throw my hair in a pony tail and run in sweats “just to get milk” I see every person I went to college with. Oh well…I digress.
Here’s to my first post with many more to come! I realize this is just a snapshot and it is brief, but I wanted to introduce you to me and my life. I can’t wait to write more and I have lots of ideas, mostly relating back to family and community. Those two words pretty accurately sum up the important and fun things in life and I’m excited to share more! Now back to cute toddler, onesie pajamas, bedtime songs, and quality time with my best friend, who I also get to call “husband.”
