**A Dedication to Pamela Bean Short**

To our beloved mother, Pamela Bean Short, a woman of unparalleled strength and grace, who, despite a lifetime of unimaginable hardship, chose joy as her guide and beauty as her legacy. Through her pain, she nurtured life in every form—planting vibrant flowers, steadfast trees, and countless gardens that blossomed as expressions of her love for the Earth and all who walk upon it. She taught us not only how to care for the land, but how to cherish it with every breath, how to find peace in nature’s rhythms, and how to heal through creation.

Though she left this world on August 5th, 2024, after her brave battle with gallbladder cancer, her spirit endures in every flower that blooms and every tree that sways in the wind. It was her unwavering belief in the sanctity of the natural world and her wish for a natural burial that opened our eyes to the importance of honoring the earth in death, just as she did in life. Her passing gifted us with the wisdom to seek our rights to private family land burials, a path that will forever be intertwined with her legacy of love for the land and life itself.

In every step we take, we carry her lessons, her light, and her love. Thank you, Mama, for showing us how to cultivate beauty, even in the face of darkness, and for planting seeds of joy that will continue to bloom long after you are gone. We miss you endlessly, but we see you everywhere—in the garden, in the trees, and in the endless cycle of life that you cherished so deeply.