God Provides,
and I Just Push a Button

FACES OF THE CRYSTAL COAST: KAYE STRUM

How faith, photography and an adventurous spirit helped Kaye Strum navigate caregiving, loss and life after Lawrence.

By Coastal 55+

A Love Spanning 61 Years

Born and raised in New Bern in 1945, Kaye married her husband, Lawrence, in 1962. Together, they raised two children, David and Lori, and were blessed with five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Kaye and Lawrence shared 61 years of marriage before he passed away in 2023. The final 15 years of their life together were shaped by his journey with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Kaye cared for Lawrence at home for nearly all of those years. Only during his final 30 days, when the disease caused behaviors that made it unsafe for them to remain at home together, did she reach the painful point where she could no longer care for both Lawrence and herself.

Finding Peace Behind the Camera

About ten years into their caregiving journey, Kaye picked up a camera.

It was not because she knew anything about photography. It was because she needed a place for her mind to rest.

“I picked up a camera to keep my mind focused and to step out of reality for a few minutes,” she shared. “Taking pictures of all God’s creations was my therapy. It gave me peace, and it still does today.”

Lawrence accompanied her on most of those photography outings. Together, they watched for birds, wildlife, changing skies and the quiet beauty found throughout coastal North Carolina.

Kaye readily admits she has never studied apertures, shutter speeds or the technical rules of photography.

“I absolutely do not know one thing about photography, and I mean nothing,” she said with a laugh. “All my pictures are shot on auto. I just push a button.”

Today, she takes most of her photographs with her cell phone. She is not concerned with mastering complicated equipment. For Kaye, photography is about noticing what God has placed before her and receiving the peace it brings.

“At 81, all I want is to find peace, not something I have to truly concentrate on and learn,” she said. “God provides, and I just push a button. We’ve got a thing going on.”

That simple act continues to help Kaye navigate life without the man who was beside her for more than six decades.

“Losing your soul mate after 61 years has been a journey for me, showered with many blessings from God,” she shared.

Photography may bring Kaye stillness, but it has not kept her standing still.

For her 79th birthday, she drove a Jet Ski from Morehead City to Cape Hatteras, with her son following along. She celebrated her 80th birthday by going skydiving. At 81, she climbed into an open-cockpit airplane for a barrel roll and hammerhead maneuver.

Next up is a hot-air balloon ride planned for October.

Kaye’s life is a reminder that grief and gratitude can exist together. So can courage and vulnerability, adventure and peace. Even after great loss, there are still new views to discover, new memories to make and countless glimpses of God’s creation waiting to be noticed.

Sometimes, all you have to do is push the button.