Our Story: The Beads
Our family's journey since losing Mandy Kay is best divided into four components, each represented by a bead on our bracelets: the Star, the Soccer Ball, the Heart, and - ultimately - the Cross.
The Star: Mandy Kay
On February 21, 2018, Mandy Kay - our beloved daughter/sister passed away unexpectedly in her sleep. She was only four years old, but she had greatly impacted us... and everyone else she met. Her Celebration of Life was attended by over 400 people that would miss her hilarious spunk, contagious laughter, and overflowing joy. Even from the depths of our grief, when it felt impossible to live a single day without her, we marveled at her impact. Evidently, we had much to learn from her life - and her death had taught us that we had no time to waste. She is and will always be the STAR of our family.
The Soccer Ball: Play
Although there were several lessons we learned from Mandy, the most obvious was also the simplest: Just Play. All of us have fond memories of playing with our little diva; she had a special way of drawing you into her world, allowing you to forget the chaos of everyday life and enjoy the present. She taught us how to Just Play.
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Of course, in the months after losing Mandy, it wasn't easy to play. It seemed wrong - impossible - to smile without her, let alone play... but eventually, as the wound became ever-so-slightly less raw, we realized that playing was the best way to honor her. And soon after that, we realized the importance of sharing her message. We, too, needed to enable others to Just Play.
The Heart: Healing
Healing is never easy, but the lessons we learned from Mandy helped us navigate the rough waters of grief and come out stronger on the other side.
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Mandy showed us the importance of letting others into our world, sharing our needs, and putting relationships first. Those lessons were unbelievably difficult to practice after she passed. It was hard to summon the energy to get out of bed, let alone talk to another human - but our support circle was incredible. We had a three-month-long meal train, countless gift baskets, and infinite offers for "anything we needed." Their constant reinforcement helped us make it through, but it was only possible because we were vulnerable enough to let them in and accept their generosity.
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Healing often stems from togetherness, and we're determined to bring that togetherness to those who most need healing... through play.
The Cross: Faith
On the morning Mandy passed, we were buried in grief and fear and doubt. At the time, we were what many churches call "CEO" (Christmas and Easter only) attenders, and we had lots of questions for God... specifically, why would a good God let us endure so much pain?
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But even in the blackness of despair, angrily questioning God, He comforted us through His Word (which, in of itself, was no small miracle - none of us had voluntarily opened up a Bible in quite some time). Isaiah 57:1 -"The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil" - consoled us slightly; although we'd never fully understand why God took Mandy away, we found comfort in the reminder that she was being spared from evil - that she was at peace.
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That morning marked an awakening of faith for our family. Since then, we've drawn much closer to Jesus, increasingly experiencing the overarching purpose, transcendent peace, and indescribable joy that results from living in relationship with Him.
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We found joy in Jesus, and now we live to share that joy with others!
