A Life Well-Lived...And Loved

So, Joey died yesterday. 

I didn’t know her, and I didn’t follow Joey+Rory’s music.  Their appearance on “Can YouDuet” caught my eye briefly, and I recall being struck by this young couple’s love and adoration for each other.

Fast forward to Joey’s illness.  Cancer just flat out sucks and hits with no regard to demographics or life’s plans and dreams.  Millions of us became enthralled in her journey through her husband’s journaling. 

As we watched cancer slowly claim its next victim and eat away at her physical form, I think Joey’s story touched us because in her life, each of us could find a piece of us that forced us to face questions about our own existence.

With 3 of our 5 senior dogs, ages 12-19

“What if today was my last day on this earth?” 

“If someone so young, seemingly so healthy with so much in her future could be taken away, is it by the grace of that Higher Power that I am here?”

“What am I doing with my life so that on this side people could declare my life well-lived and well-loved, and on the other side it would be declared, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

So we all walked this journey with Joey+Rory through Rory’s words.  And even though my

The love of my life & Shanghai
way below us

heart breaks for Joey’s family and of course extend prayers and love to all of them, what I feel must be said this morning is:

Thank you.

Rory, thank you for your strength to write the words that you have written and your vulnerability to allow the world to glimpse into the life you live.  You see, by opening up your lives and allowing us to walk with you, you began a ministry that reminded us why we are here. 

One little moment with daughter
before her wedding

There’s nothing more powerful than a person’s story to connect others, to remind them that we are all spirits filling these human vessels, and the story is not about the vessel and how we fill this life with busyness, but it’s about the spirit that resides in each of us and the connections we make with other spirits while here.  We experienced that truth when Joey’s true beauty radiated brightly as her vessel became less useful to the spirit that resided in it. 

And now, as Rory and his daughters will begin life finding a balance between grieving and living, 

I return to mine to care for my beautiful family and aging dogs. 

"Q" - the youngest grandson

No I didn’t know Joey personally, but Joey left each of us with a gift when she offered her spirit to connect with ours as she passed on from this life.  I would be selfish to sit with this sense of loss when I have no right to it.  That belongs to Rory and his family.  My part in this story is to honor Joey and the indelible mark she left on all of us by cherishing this life that I live – not Rory’s.  Sure, I’ll look forward to reading his future posts, 

Everett & "Tata" & pool time

but I honor the Joey+Rory story when I turn back to my life and love my family, embrace my passions and not waste one minute of the time I’m given in this vessel.

Thank you, Joey.  I’ll see you on the other side.