Collection: Rise Up

Rise Up. Two words that pack a punch. Two words that not only mean something physical but also something mental. Two words that are significant in our small communities because it’s what our small towns are known for. When challenges arise, we as a community RISE UP.Payton Thobe, the gal behind the images on all of our shirts, actually created this one without my inspiration. I tell you, when you surround yourself with good, that good has your back. When I told Payton I was ready to start brainstorming for the next set of designs for fall/winter, she smiled and said, “Good…because I already started on some.” Hence, the Rise Up. I immediately fell in love with the design and immediately knew what it meant, at least to me and my experience.I’m going to share my experience as a mom with teenagers and my perspective on this age of life. Our family saw firsthand the impact Jake’s accident had on the many kids not only in Jake’s life but to all kids in general in the Jay and Mercer County communities. We’ve seen firsthand the changes in these kids, how they went from boys and girls to young men and women in just days. How they started greeting each other with hugs and tears, how they continually checked in on each other, how they banded together with flags and other symbols to show their love for not only Jake but for one another.Fast forward to the tragic accident of a family friend to us: Allen Dues. In less than one year, many kids went through things that some people never experience in a lifetime. It’s not fair. It sucks. It shakes your faith and everything inside of you. But guess what? These kids didn’t take the easy route. They didn’t give up. They ROSE UP. And that’s not easy. They showed up (again) for one another. They checked in with one another. For some, they didn’t leave each other’s sides. We had a house full of kids the weekend of Allen’s accident. Thank goodness for all the people who brought paper plates, napkins, and other essentials after Jake’s accident because we used all of it feeding kids and keeping them close after Allen’s. In the midst of tragedy, these kids kept showing up for one another. They helped each other through the hard days.I’m so proud of these kids. I’m so proud of the parents who raised them to rise to these challenges. I’m so proud of the adults in their lives who continue to help them through the challenging days, everyone who has gone out of their way to show these kids that with faith (hence the cross in the design), and their love of these boys (why the American flag is also in the image as both Jake and Allen loved their country), we will continue to Rise Up each day.