Amazing Madelyn Grace: Two Years Later
Hello strangers!
I woke up this morning with a sense of sadness & frustration about the way this day makes me feel. Today marks two years since the fire. With the day comes a lot of painful memories & panic, but today I wanted to take time to share a little bit of an update about what we’re up to now. Also, my Squarespace annual subscription payment went through a few weeks ago, & it felt like it was time to utilize this website again.
This time two years ago, there was a lot of confusion & fear. Madelyn was severely injured & we didn’t know what her future was going to look like. All we hoped & prayed for is that she would be alive, & boy is she!
Since the accident, Madelyn has slowly but surely began to recover in many ways. She took time to rest, attend out-patient rehab & has had many laser treatments to help smooth the skin where her grafts are. There are still doctor’s visits here & there, with plans to continue her laser surgeries, but her progress has been remarkable to see.
She returned to teaching in the fall of 2023 after taking the rest of the last year off to recover. She continued her journey as HCMS cheer coach, something that she has always been so passionate about. She had a great year with great kids, & it felt like it was exactly what she needed.
Since then, Madelyn has taken on a new path in education! This most recent school year, she accepted a position to be the school counselor at East Hickman Elementary School & started classes at Lipscomb to earn her masters degree. She continues to coach middle school cheer & has loved her new experiences & friendships made at EHES.
She’s as Madelyn as she ever was!
I can’t speak much to Madelyn’s personal experience, & I’m not going to try to. From my perspective, she is good. I’m sure some days are tougher than others, & there are feelings & pain I may never understand. Her progress is remarkable. There is no doubt about that.
As for mom & dad, they recently purchased & are renovating a house! My parents deserve the home of their dreams, & I believe this is going to be the most beautiful place ever! They’ve watched enough Home Town & Fixer Upper over the last two years to practically be contractors & interior designers. Mom thinks she Chip Gaines.
I anticipate the new memories & moments we will share in this new space. We are the most grateful to The Richey Family for their generosity in opening up their family home to us when we needed it most. It has become a true place of comfort & healing. But don’t worry…Tiger Richey is making the move with the fam! Leave it up to us to become attached to the hermit cat.
As for me, I graduated college in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism & emerging media. In October of 2023, I started the dreamiest of dream jobs at a comedy media production company called 800 Pound Gorilla, where I continue my role in working for the legacy comedy label Clown Jewels! I’ve always had a passion for humor & the thrill of making people laugh, & I am so grateful every day for the opportunity to do what I love with the most amazing people!
In many ways, we are good. In many ways, days are still very hard. It feels like there has been a million pound weight on my heart for the last two years. Even in the midst of good things & progress, the pain still lingers. I don’t know if the holidays will ever feel the way they did before. When I close my eyes, I can still picture my childhood bedroom & the comfort it brought me. I still see everything so vividly.
Nevertheless, we persist. There is a song that I’ve listened to over the last couple of years & the main line says this:
“Pain is inevitable, but misery is a choice.”
We carry the pain, but we look towards the good things to come in this life even when it’s hard.
Thank you to everyone for the nonstop love & encouragement over these last two years. Centerville is a special place full of the kindest people who care for their neighbor in times of true hardship.
Wishing you the merriest Christmas from our family to yours!
Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
