a week ago today my sweet friend vanessa, her husband josh and their 8 month old (poppy’s future hubs) hudson went to be with Jesus. it was tragic, sudden and left a lot of people heartbroken. they were seriously amazing. always playing, laughing, encouraging and loving. the best kind of people and they were our people.
here is a blurb from a blog post vanessa wrote that sums up just how encouraging she was: “i want to seize every opportunity to brag excessively about people. i want the words that come from my lips to be so uplifting of the people around me that they can fly high on the things I say. every day and every moment is a chance to celebrate people.”
gives me the good kind of goosebumps.
aside from being poppy’s future mother in law, vanessa was also ozzie’s youth pastor and my lifeline to the teenage years. i’m so thankful for the playdates, text messages, laughter, conversations and time i had with her and her brood. there are no words to describe how much they will be missed.
in honor of vanessa i thought i’d share a freebie for something she was so good at — making people feel awesome about themselves. download these cute images to send with a text message:
// you make my heart HHAAPPYY // OMG you da best // hey GIRL, hey. //
i cannot tell you how often i think something sweet about a loved one, friend or neighbor and never share it with them. while a cute image isn’t necessary it makes it just that much more fun… sorta like emojicons :)
here’s to celebrating people and loving well!
xo . rae
(image by stacy jacobsen)
How sweet of you to offer something to us, your readers, while dealing with this terrible tragedy. Just wanted to say how awesome YOU are to do that! So sorry to hear of your loss. Good friends (and future husbands for your daughter) don’t come into your life every day. May the memory of these beloved friends live on in you forever.
thanks for the sweet note debbie! hard to focus on anything that doesn’t involve thinking of them and it’s been healing to talk about how great they were :) thankful to have a way to share — thank YOU for reading! xoxo
I’m sorry for the loss of your dear friends. This is a sweet way to honor your friend’s character.
thanks teri. xoxo
I am sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine the loss of a such a young, vibrant family. Thank you for honoring their life and inspiring all of us to keep investing in our friendships.
We never know when we’ll be called home… Praying for God’s grace and peace for everyone hurting. I love your happy text idea. Very sweet and simple.
thank you amy :)
I was so sorry to hear about this young family. I’m local and know that this sweet family had a very big touch and are leaving a gap in this community and with those who loved them. I’m sorry for your loss and know that God will work all things together for good.
so very true rachel! xoox
I am so sorry about the loss of such a sweet family. I have been thinking of you since reading this post yesterday and will continue to for a long time to come. Hoping all will be well in your hearts soon. And, thank you for the sweet text images. I think they brightened a few friends’ day.
Oh my. Such sadness. Prayers for all who are hurting. My big problems now seem so small. Insignificant. Seeking faith, sharing sympathy and asking God to help.