Welcome to Sweet Tea Society

When I was a little girl, I knew I was lucky to be born where I was, but I had no idea just how special this part of the world truly is.

These roots and the heritage they bring are something to treasure. You can move here and embrace our way of life, but growing up here is something altogether different.

We have hills, hollers, bottoms, humidity you can cut with a knife, Friday night football, tailgates, pep rallies, fried chicken, casseroles, mud holes, fields of cotton, corn, wheat, and hay balers slowing down your commute just a little.

We embrace a slower pace than much of the world. To some, that might make us seem simple. To that I say, "Oh, sweetie... grab yourself a glass of sweet tea and have a seat."

We may look simple, but I promise you—we're capable of just about anything we set our minds to.

I've been fortunate enough to travel across much of this beautiful country. Every place I visited had something wonderful to offer, and I was always excited to experience it. But every single trip ended the same way.

My heart longed for home.

Home, to me, is West Tennessee.

It's seeing fields freshly plowed and waiting for their crops. It's kids heading to the bottoms on the weekends to go mudding. It's knowing your neighbors well enough that if someone isn't answering their phone, one call is all it takes to have someone check on them.

It's people showing up with casseroles when someone is sick or grieving.

It's the church where you grew up, the community that surrounds you when life gets hard, and the high school you still proudly support decades after graduation.

It's homemade ice cream on the front porch with family and friends, telling stories while the children run through the yard, a glass of sweet tea in your hand, and friendships that have lasted a lifetime because they still live just down the road.

Over my 53 years, I've spent far too much time trying to fit into places where I never truly belonged. My way of learning has always been trial by fire. Some lessons I simply had to learn the hard way.

I chased dreams that weren't really mine. I compared my life to people whose paths were never meant for me.

There's nothing wrong with dreaming big. We should dream. We should set goals. But those dreams need to align with who God created us to be. Otherwise, we spend our lives exhausted trying to become someone we were never designed to be.

One thing I've finally learned is that we have to be true to ourselves.

I believe God placed each of us here with a purpose. For me, that purpose isn't to be known by millions of people. It's simply to do the work He places in front of me each day and to love the people He places beside me.

I've spent much of my life running from that truth.

Not because I didn't help people—I have. I've had the privilege of helping thousands throughout my life. But somewhere along the way, helping became another task on my to-do list instead of something I treasured. My heart wasn't always in the right place.

Today, it is.

And because of that, I see so many blessings I once took for granted.

There are friendships I wish I had held onto. People God placed in my life to walk beside me, but I pushed them away because I was too busy chasing things that were never meant for me. I was busy being unhappy. Busy striving. Busy believing happiness was somewhere "out there" instead of appreciating what was already around me.

I know so many women who feel the same way.

They're spinning their wheels every single day. They're exhausted. They're lonely. They don't know how to get off the ride.

Many struggle to find genuine friendships. Women they can trust. Women willing to build real community instead of just exchanging small talk.

The truth is...

We need each other.

We need friends who understand us. Friends we can laugh with, cry with, pray with, and simply share everyday life with.

So if you're reading this, let me tell you something I wish someone had told me years ago.

You aren't broken.

You aren't difficult to love.

You may simply be walking a path that doesn't fit the woman God created you to be.

That's why I started Sweet Tea Society.

It's for women like me—and maybe women like you.

Women who are keeping their heads above water but know there's more to life than simply surviving.

I can't tell you exactly what this page will become because, honestly, I'm still discovering that myself.

We'll probably laugh together.

We'll probably cry together.

We'll talk about faith, Scripture, southern traditions, recipes, shopping trips, travel, family, friendship, and all the ordinary moments that make up a beautiful life.

Most of all, I hope we rediscover the joy of simply being who God created us to be.

I chose the name Sweet Tea Society because I can't think of anything more Southern than sharing a glass of sweet tea with a friend on the front porch.

And if you're here...

Pull up a rocking chair.

I've already got a glass poured for you.

Welcome, friend. I'm so glad you're here.

email us @ thesweetteasociety@gmail.com