STORIES

Co-founder Julie's story...
The path of life has brought me to this point and I’ve been trying to go over it in my head. I think we all wonder about how time flies and where we are in life. Sitting at a table two years ago to create this “project” with Heidi and Tonya, I knew what I wanted. The three of us had been through loss and life in three very different ways – yet we were all the same. Pain is pain and fight is fight. I just never really thought about WHY. That’s a big question. Everyone has a story. Everyone has been through life. Life is a path and it is hard. Maybe that’s why? We all deal with loss, death, frustration, and the realization that maybe life isn’t what we’d planned. But the good news is, we also have renewed love, renewed hope, renewed health, and gratitude of where we have been. We hang on and we fight because we have loved ones that depend on us and we owe it to ourselves to truly “live in” this life we’ve been so graciously given – for whatever reason or for however long it is. There’s so many clichés in life. “If you wanna make God laugh, tell him your plans” and “Everything happens for a reason” and all that. The truth is none of us know anything except that we are still here and while we are, we should make it matter. So why LIVING52? If loss is what brought us here – my hope is living life well will carry us all forward together.
Other Whys?

Distraction from everyday struggles and shift to gratitude.
Hope in doing something that matters.
Bringing us together because no one needs to feel alone.
Creating a fire in your SOUL to learn and grow one day at a time.
Everyday reminder to be better than we were yesterday because God woke us up for a reason.
To create a connection of people with all different backgrounds and views of what words mean to them.

Words matter like the air we breathe. They affect what we think of ourselves, others, and our everyday attitude. Let’s shift our attitudes – Let’s be more thoughtful of what we put out into the world. My hope in creating this initiative that we are reminded of why we go through what we do and that we can become stronger because of it, not in spite of it. One Word. One Week. One Year. At a time.

Co-founder Tonya's Story...
On August 4, 2015, I wrote this in my journal, “I am not strong, I am LOVED!” Oh so many times since my oldest son died have I heard, “You are so strong!” Many times followed with, “I couldn’t be that strong.” I haven’t felt strong! Inside I would think, if they only saw me crying in the car, procrastinating getting out of bed in the morning, or going to bed at 7pm they wouldn’t say I was strong. If they saw me eat the whole package of cookies or veg out in front of the TV for 12 hours, they wouldn’t call me strong. How do I make it through each day without my first born on earth with my husband, youngest son, and me? LOVE! Love of family… Love of friends… Love of complete strangers… and grace from special others.
Until this time, I was strong-willed, independent, and felt that I was in control of my life. I could do things on my own. I have been softened. I need non-judgement and also need to be non-judgmental. I need others. Life circumstances have softened me and helped me realize that it is better when we are in community with others and lift each other up.

Stories

ONE WORD.

ONE WEEK.

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