Blog

Promised Blessings

stephaniemoorewrites

As a family we were reading Romans 8 today.

A verse stuck out to me. Which was already highlighted so must have stuck out to me before.

Verse 18:

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

What an amazing promise!

The minutes since Rory’s death have been painful.

The days of missing her feel so long.

The years feel overwhelming.

Decades, unfathomable.

Is all of this worth it? Was Paul right that our sufferings will not even compare to the glory we’ll have in the next life?

That’s the hope.

That’s where faith comes in.

Faith that she still lives.

Faith that she’s happy.

Faith that she’s with Jesus Christ.

Faith that we’ll be together again.

Faith that the second I die Rory will be running into my arms.

I day dream about that moment.

Yearn for it.

I don’t know that there is a greater promised blessing than that for me.

My girl. In my arms. Never to be parted again.

A Special Prize

stephaniemoorewrites

In each of the Rory’s Bags of Love we have a special prize.

Rory needed extra help at school and went to resource everyday. There, she worked with so many amazing teachers.

One of the things Rory absolutely loved was earning prizes for her hard work.

Two weeks before she died, she kept telling me she was working toward getting chocolate ice cream.

The week before she died she came home with this chocolate ice cream eraser.

She carried it around with her. Pretended to eat it, licking her lips after each pretend bite.

She loved this prize!

After she died, I carried that eraser in my pocket for weeks.

I carried joy with me, Rory’s joy.

Our hope is that the kids that get these bags will love their little special prizes as much as Rory did.

Joy, I hope they will feel joy.

So Many Deaths

stephaniemoorewrites

I have a degree in history.

I’ve studied about many wars. Many struggles. Many deaths.

It wasn’t until I started to work at the National Archives and read personal accounts that something became blatantly clear.

These were sons I was reading about.

Daughters.

Fathers.

Mothers.

Sisters.

Brothers.

Uncles.

Aunts.

From that point on as I read about history, it was personal. The people that were dying on the pages meant something to someone else. Probably lots of someone elses.

And since Rory’s death, I’ve taken it one step further.

Their deaths are an empty seat at the table.

At the movie.

In the car.

In the pew at church.

When going on vacation.

Everywhere.

From November 13th, 2017, there will always be someone missing from our family.

I used to feel bad when deaths would occur, now it’s almost debilitating.

These mass shootings.

I can’t even.

So many families.

The sorrow, grief, fear that are taking over their lives.

I hope this isn’t a norm for our future. For my boys’ future.

Something has to change.

Please.

Something has to change.

My heart and love goes out to the victims’ families.

Too many empty seats.

Words that Stay with Me

stephaniemoorewrites

I’ve had so many thoughts and feelings swirling around me this week with no energy to write them down.

My heart is so full when I think about Rory.

I love her so much.

I miss her equally.

I’ve been thinking about the notes she used to leave me.

On thank you cards.

On index cards.

In notebooks.

On hotel notepads.

It was always the same, in her perfectly messy handwriting.

Rory

💜

Mom

Rory doing what she did best, spreading love.

She wrote them so frequently that I threw them away for a long time.

A few months before she died, I got this feeling.

Start saving those notes.

How grateful I am for that inspiration!

They are some on my most precious possessions.

As my life is hard. As I struggle seeing positive. When the future feels bleak.

I have those words.

I know someone is always in my corner.

Rory

💜

Mom

My sweet angel baby girl.

The Lion King

stephaniemoorewrites

We went to see The Lion King on Tuesday and it was like I was 12 again, seeing it with new eyes.

Eyes of my new life.

There were a few moments that stood out to me this time around. But none more than when Rafiki finds Simba again.

Rafiki tells Simba that Mufasa, his father, was alive. He tells Simba to follow him. They race through the oasis until they come to the water’s edge.

Simba stares down at a reflection of himself. He’s disappointed. He wants to be with his father again.

Then Rafiki tells him, “Look harder… you see, he lives in you.”

It made me wonder, as I look into the mirror, who else is staring back at me?

My Grammy was so smart. She was such a vivacious reader.

Does that part of her shine out of me?

My Grandma battled so many physical ailments without complaint and fought for her ability to stay on this earth. She was strong.

Does that part of her shine out of me?

My Grandpa knew what he wanted and asked for it. He was assertive.

Does that part of him shine out of me?

My Granny was a caretaker. She took care of all those that came into her life.

Does that part of her shine out of me?

My Grandma Smiley has the most amazing laugh. It was a high-pitched giggle. She spread joy wherever she went.

Does that part of her shine out of me?

My Rory. She loved widely and had an optimistic outlook on life. Even when life wasn’t easy.

Does that part of her shine out of me?

I don’t look in the mirror and see all those characteristics in myself. But it does give me something to work toward.

Amazing people that left before me.

I hope part of them lives inside of me.