10/15/2025
Sometimes showing up for a friend means texting them to check in. Sometimes it's coffee dates or going to the store together. Almost always, though, showing up for someone we love is taking care of not just their mental health, but our own, too.
See, I came up with the idea for Dignity and Dust thanks to a wonderful woman in my life. After some serious medical struggles, she found herself in a chaos she didn't know how to control. Fortunately, she finally accepted my offer to help her find her way back to her home with the agreement that she would only pay me what she could. Personally, I'm not doing this for money. I'm doing it for the joy I see slowly sparkling into each room, and we lift one more thing off her plate. However, she insists that my time is valuable and that I deserve something for it. Thus, Dignity & Dust was born. We want to bring happiness, respect, and self-love back to anyone willing to ask for help because we all deserve to live in a clean home.
So far, we have worked together for 21 days to reclaim her space. I cannot express how proud I am of her, and her resolve as we have sorted through so many boxes of memories, good intentions, and futures that remain slightly out of reach.
So far, we have accomplished so much, but we still have a way to go. We take it one day at a time, and one step in a positive direction.
Consider this your reminder: check on that friend you're worried about. Make that offer one more time. Commit real time and real effort to the people you care about. You have no idea what they are carrying silently in fear of becoming a burden. In the end, their support could help you too.
I intend to continue posting updates on our progress, and I am not including everything that has been done in this post, just highlights from the past few days! Also, it should be acknowledged that none of these rooms/spaces/areas are completed. Since it is such a large project, there are a lot of moving pieces that require us to shift from space to space ❤️
