YOU, ME, & 83! ❤️Sharing Memories to Last A Lifetime!
What does 22 years of LOVE look like?
For me, it looks like celebrated birthdays across the country and across the ocean. It looks like road trips, beaches, family, friendships, Airbnb adventures, cruises, books, laughter, loss, healing, near-death experiences, miracles, and a whole lot of LOVE.
It looks like Charles Woody Woodford.
In celebration of a Holistic Way of Life, I dedicate this post to my beloved Charles Woody as he celebrates his 83rd birthday! I thought it would be befitting to take a little journey down memory lane from 73 to 83 and shine a spotlight on not just the birthdays, but the LIFE behind them.
Here’s the thing, birthdays aren't really just about the number. They're about the moments, the people, the places, the experiences, and the journey. And ohhhhh, what a journey it has been!
So, travel with me…
Back in 2016, when Charles was 73, we found ourselves in Arizona. Our dear friends Lori, Alice, and Charlie arranged a surprise birthday dinner for Charles. Here's the part that still makes me smile: we had only met them about a month earlier when we booked our stay at Lori's Airbnb. Alice was Lori's mom, and Charlie was her husband. Yet somehow, these three beautiful souls welcomed us as if we were lifelong friends. They took us in, loved on us, and made sure our two months in Arizona were nothing short of spectacular.
And isn't that one of life's greatest gifts? Finding family in unexpected places. Sometimes strangers become friends, and friends become family.
By 2017, we had become deeply rooted in several communities in Nashville, Tennessee, and celebrated Charles' 74th birthday with one of our many villages. We took a road trip to Tunica, making a few historical stops along the way, including Memphis, Tennessee, where we ate well at B.B. King's Barbecue.
It was another year, another adventure, and another opportunity to celebrate this amazing man and the life we were creating together.
Then came 2018, and we were KEEPING IT LIVE FOR 75! One day of celebration simply wasn't enough, so we celebrated for three days, from Friday through Sunday. Charles' daughter and her family traveled from Michigan to Nashville to join us. We spent time together at Opryland, had a Paint N Sip party, and wrapped things up with Sunday brunch.
Looking back on that celebration carries an even deeper meaning now because some of the beautiful people who shared those moments with us have since made their transition from this life. What may have felt like just a birthday celebration at the time has now become a priceless memory years later.
In 2019, we were on the road again, celebrating Charles' 76th birthday in California with my son and his family. We made a quick stop in Colorado to hang with family before heading to California, where we celebrated on the beach in Santa Barbara. Along the way, we were also celebrating the release and signing of my first book, Clearly-Ready.
Life was full as we celebrated with family while dreams were unfolding. We were living out loud, creating, celebrating, and traveling route 66.
Little did we know that this would be Charles' last birthday celebration in the world as we knew it.
Because then came 2020 and everything changed!.
Celebrating Charles' 77th birthday in 2020 was next level because the world had shut down. We were pivoting into the beginning of a new normal, and fear was running rampant. We celebrated in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the home of our dear friend Eleanor, where we sheltered in place during the lockdown.
Shortly afterward, Charles' very good friend Jerry made his transition after losing his battle with cancer. Despite the loss, uncertainty, and fear we continued to choose LOVE in the midst of it all.
In June of 2020, right in the middle of all that uncertainty, we launched the Love Drops Podcast. Because even when the world was dripping with fear, we decided to keep spreading LOVE over fear.
Then came 2021, just as we thought things were pivoting back into alignment, we were hit with the biggest storm of our life together.
Charles faced a near-death experience that landed him in Intensive Care for 80 days. Let that sink in, yep, 80 days! And yet, by Divine Grace, he came through. Charles became known as the “Miracle Man.”
He was discharged from the hospital just 12 days before his 78th birthday, and we celebrated at St. Christopher's Camp on Seabrook Island, South Carolina.
Celebrating 78 was the greatest gift of life for us, up to that point. Although it was not a big or elaborate celebration, it was definitely the most meaningful birthday celebration for Charles, right after his near-death experience. We were GRATEFUL and vowed not to waste the incredible gift of life we were given.
In 2022, we celebrated Charles' 79th birthday in a place of tranquility and peace at our Airbnb, The Treehouse, just outside Augusta, Georgia. We held a virtual celebration via Zoom, which allowed friends and family from around the world to join in the celebration.
Our dear friend Yeae was also with us for a visit, so we took a day trip to Charleston and had brunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Acme Seafood on Isle of Palms, South Carolina. We had the most incredible day in the Low Country and even planned to one day all return together.
About six months later, Yeae' would make her transition from this life.
And once again, life reminded us that we truly never know which moments will become our most precious memories.
Life continues to invite and remind us to live now, spread love, celebrate the moment, take trips, and create priceless memories.
Then came 2023 and the BIG 80!
Oh, we celebrated that birthday! We celebrated with family in Evanston and Atlanta, Georgia, with friends in Miami, and on a cruise through the Caribbean. We really put the punctuation mark on 80!
But there was another milestone that made that year incredibly meaningful: the release of my book, After-Care: Finding Peace Beyond Trauma.
Charles' near-death experience became part of the story, but it was never the focus. The focus was healing. The focus was learning to live on the other side of trauma. The focus was finding peace, purpose, joy, and LIFE after the storm.
His story became part of a larger message for anyone who has experienced trauma and needed to know that healing is possible. That joy can return. That there really can be peace and a beautiful life after trauma.
In 2024, we returned to St. Christopher's Camp on Seabrook Island, South Carolina, to celebrate Charles' 81st birthday. But this time we were celebrating in the season of After-Care where Charles was healed and recovered.
The celebration was simple and special with just the two of us. And honestly, it was perfect. Because after everything we had experienced, simply being together was enough.
Then came 2025, and we found ourselves back in France again.
Charles' 82nd birthday was celebrated in Lyon for an entire week. We enjoyed bike rides, city tours, the aquarium, museums, sunset walks, good meals, and plenty of beautiful moments together.
Who would have thought that in 2025 we would celebrate both of our birthdays in France? My birthday in Paris and Charles' birthday in Lyon.
How cool is THAT?!
At this point, the message was clear: keep living, keep exploring, and keep saying YES to the adventure.
And now, here we are.
As I type this post, we are in Bournemouth, England, celebrating Charles' 83rd birthday!
Our plans are loosely made, leaving plenty of room for the beautiful surprises that always seem to align with our journey. As I mentioned in my previous post, we've already kicked off the celebrations in Leicester, England, with Tim and Soph.
Next up, we plan to celebrate with our dear friend Sara Jane over a birthday lunch of fish and chips. The plan is to sit out on the cliffs, eat by the sea, enjoy the view, laugh, love, and simply be present for the gift of another year. Our amazing Airbnb hosts Barbara and Mark are taking us somewhere awesome this evening so stay tuned for more on that!
After 22 years, we've learned something important:
Some of the best moments aren't planned, they simply show up! Maybe that's part of the beauty of this life we've created together.
When I look back from 73 to 83, I don't just see birthdays, I see a tapestry of LIFE. I see places we've traveled, people we've loved, family we've celebrated, friends we've lost, challenges we've overcome, dreams we've pursued, and miracles we've witnessed.
I see ten years of birthdays and 22 years of doing life with a man who has taught me so much about resilience, love, adventure, and simply showing up for LIFE. I see a man who went through 80 days in Intensive Care and came out on the other side as the Miracle Man.
I see two people who have continued to travel, explore, create, love, laugh, write, heal, and celebrate even when life didn't look anything like what they expected. The miracle of life is worth celebrating each and every single day. The fact that I have been given 22 years thus far to do life with Charles is a priceless gift. I don't take it for granted, not even for one single moment.
I am honored to walk this journey with this amazing soul and wonderful man. So today, with a heart overflowing with gratitude and joy, I give a HUGE shout-out to the man, the myth, the Miracle Man…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHARLES WOODY WOODFORD! ❤️🎉
May this next trip around the sun bring you more adventures, more laughter, more travel, more good food, more sunsets, more surprises, and more LOVE. But most importantly… MORE LIFE❤️
Because if these last 22 years have taught me anything, it’s that life is precious, love is the way, memories are the real treasure, and every single day is worth celebrating. So, as we continue celebrating life; here’s to YOU, ME, & 83!
