Sandpoint Speaks Hope (Part 1)

This is such a unique time for us globally. The information that is screaming for our attention is overwhelming, concerning, and downright scary. I don’t need to tell you the situation; you are in the thick of it. Your kids are home and you have become a homeschool parent overnight (with the courageous and heroic help of their school teachers), your loved ones are serving on the front lines (from the hospitals to the postal service, from restaurants to emergency response units, from grocery stores to government officials), you might have been laid off work, you may be out looking for work, you may be fighting for your life. We are all overwhelmed by our new reality and the constant unknowns.

It breaks my heart. For what it is worth, know that I am praying for you.

I love my small town. I love the hiking trails, the lakes, the mountains, the parks, the seasons, and the people. Most of all, I love the unique shops that make this place feel like family. These businesses (and ultimately families) are hit hard with issues they have never faced before. As I put myself in their shoes, I began to question 1. how are they really doing? 2. what would their message be to our community right now?

So I set out with my camera in hand and went business to business. Many who were still open shared their heartwarming and heartbreaking stories with me. I bore, for a moment, their burden with them- empathetically feeling their struggle, pain, heartache, fears, and concerns for the future. Then, I asked them what they would say to Sandpoint right now. Right away I saw a physical shift in their eyes, posture, and emotions. They wrote their messages- on a white piece of paper with a freshly sanitized sharpie- to their beloved community and held it with pride, confidence, concern, love, and hope.

My goal is: as you are scrolling through social media, to have something positive pop on your feed from a friendly face you may know and love as much as I do. I hope you enjoy seeing their messages as much as I do. I hope you can receive it with an open heart and please no judgment about them being open or closed. I hope you can remember them in prayer as you pray throughout your day. I hope we can ALL come to the other side with the least amount of loss as possible. We are in this together.

Follow the entire project on my Facebook and Instagram.

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