I first came upon Corey‘s blog in 2007 accidentally
as I sat in my kitchen in Australia
helping my 7-year-old daughter to research a school project.
The link Google brought me to was a story
about gold bead necklaces traditionally gifted to
young girls in Marseille to mark special occasions as they grew up.
I was captivated. For a brief moment
I was unaware of my messy kitchen, the pile of laundry waiting to be done,
and young kids running around asking me to do things for them.
I came back to her blog later that night when the kids
were tucked up in bed and I scrolled through story after story.
In Corey‘s blog, I found a place to escape
where I could look at beautiful photographs and
read stories of French culture and experiences.
It brought me back to my childhood.
Every July my parents would pack up the car
and we would go on the overnight ferry to Le Havre
to embark on a driving adventure around France.
For four weeks we stayed in small campsites
eating baguettes and soft cheese and fruit,
so much fruit.
It was so very different than my normal life in Ireland.
Our holidays in France were a reprieve from the rain, from school, from chores.
It was exciting, colorful and the smells as we walked through markets
were of foods I had never tasted and flowers I had never seen.
Corey‘s blog brought those images back into my head so vividly
I could smell the flowers and feel the warm sun on my skin.
It was around this time that my dad in Ireland became unwell.
Over the next few years, he was diagnosed with dementia.
I was living in Australia with my husband and three children
the distance was difficult to manage.
Corey put a blog post up about some little trinkets she had found in the brocante
and asked people to comment if they wanted to be sent one of the items.
Amongst the images, I saw a small religious medal.
I felt such a strong connection to it.
When Corey messaged to say she would send it to me I asked her instead
to send it to my father in Ireland.
I’m not sure if Dad ever understood why
an American woman in France had sent him an unexpected letter
with a small religious medal but he understood enough
to know that it was “Gina‘s friend”.
2005
When Dad died I made the long journey back to Ireland
where we held Dad's wake in the house.
On a small table next to the coffin lay some precious items
that meant a lot to Dad. His watch, his cufflinks,
a small crucifix, and Corey’s medal.
I put the medal in my pocket, held it tight as I hugged my family goodbye,
then boarded the long flight back to Australia on my own.
Over the years I feel like I have shared Corey’s life.
I remember feeling so excited when I read that her daughter had become engaged.
I watched the wedding on FaceTime live and it felt like I was there walking
in the cobblestones and throwing the confetti!
It has been a privilege to be granted access to Corey and her family.
We live in a time where we are told not to place our personal details online.
We warn our kids not to befriend people they have not met in real life.
And yet I am forever grateful for the Google search
that accidentally brought Corey into my life.
She is a beautiful person and I know she inspires
so many people with her words and images.
What exactly do you call someone that you have never actually met in person?
An acquaintance?
A friend?
Or in the case of Corey Amaro…
A wonderful woman who helps us find beauty
in small things,
feel love and hope
just when we need it most.
xo
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