i was born in beaufort, north carolina. a place where the air always smells of pine and salt and sea.
for many, days and nights are spent fishing pamlico sound or crabbing the neuse river.
while the ocean may be the focus of daily labor, churches have always tried to be the focus of life.
when i lived here, there were eighteen churches within town limits alone.
they sponsored pancake breakfasts, rummage sales, car washes, and softball games.
you'd think that all the people here were friendly, welcoming, open-hearted.
 and that money or family background or education or luck didn't matter.
but they did matter. they mattered to everyone. except jamie sullivan.
 astronomer. actress. believer in god.
 believer in me.
jamie once said when you're feeling love, you're also feeling god.
she made me a believer. in love. in life. in the journey that never ends.
 and in the mystery of all things you can't see but feel everywhere around you.