My Jessie Journal:: Hi Sweet Pea, it’s daddy! I miss you so much and love you tons more. I’ve been thinking a ton about the next 30+ days. As I look back on February, it reminds me of the time I noticed you were looking to the side but walking straight ahead back in 2011. As I look forward, I can’t believe in just 4 days it will be March 3rd…the day we heard you had cancer. Not just cancer but incurable and inoperable cancer that only 300 kids a year get. Then there is March 16th, the day you first started to blog on Facebook. Then comes April 8th…your 20th birthday. A lot of memories to relive and walk through the next couple of weeks. March 3rd will also mark 8 years of this rollercoaster ride. Dang!
I also think about your strength, courage and compassion. Because while the rollercoaster was moving there was also the start of a tidal wave of love and encouragement starting because you simply wanted to help your peers that couldn’t leave the hospital. You were so driven to find a way to brighten their day. So you created JoyJars…you loved stuffing them and giving them away. You also came up with the little phrase NEGU and made sure people said it right…knee-goo! I just typed into Google “NEGU” and it says about 9,440,000 results…that’s amazing! I love this picture of you making your first JoyJars…pure joy in your face!
All of this reminds me that there is always two sides to a coin and while one side might be tarnished the other side can be clean and shiny. It’s all a matter of what side of the coin you choose to look at. Honestly, I feel like I flip the coin many times a day…some times seeing loss, grief and pain and the other love, joy and hope.
Time to flip the coin and get my day started! Yes…love, joy and hope is what I see!
I will never forget you Jess! You will forever be my Sweet Pea and I will do anything and everything to raise funds so we can keep sending your JoyJars out and sharing your Never Ever Give Up message with as many people as we can!
See you in a wink…I promise!
xoxo,
daddy
