Rory Feek Remembers Joey On Easter Sunday
Today, as families around the world gather for sunrise services and Easter brunches, Rory Feek is remembering his beautiful wife, Joey.
The singer/songwriter took to his blog, This Life I Live, to share his thoughts on spending the first holiday since Joey’s passing with their daughter, Indiana.
“I can’t help but think of my bride today,” he wrote. To remember all the Easter’s we’ve spent together over the years and what this morning would be like if she were still here with us. What it would mean to her to share Easter this year with our two-year-old. It would be so, so special.”
He went on to share an incredible story about Joey and how she prepared Indy for life without her “mama” long before she passed away.
“Indy has not asked for her mama. Not one single time since Joey’s been gone,” Rory shared. “It’s almost as if she hasn’t noticed that she’s not here. And that is so sad… and oh, so wonderful – all at the same time.”
He explained that when they moved to Indiana last October, Joey was Indy’s “whole world” and that she wanted nothing or no one besides her mama at all times. When Joey realized that she may not beat her battle with cancer, she made a decision: ”he must become greater and I must become less.” That’s when she began to hand Indy to Rory and take a step back to allow Rory and Indiana to bond.
“I still remember the day a few weeks later when I was sitting on the couch near Joey’s bed and Indy was playing on the floor at my feet and Joey looked over at me and said, ‘she needs you now…,’ he recalled. “I looked at Joey and saw the look on her face and knew what she meant, and I wanted to cry. But she just smiled and said, ‘…it’s best this way honey.'”
He continued, “Who does that? Who has that kind of strength and character? Not me, that’s for sure. I would’ve taken the low, easy road… the one that served me more. I would’ve tried to make the ties with our baby stronger and her love for me deeper so that she wouldn’t forget me… and in the end, probably left our baby wrecked with grief over the loss of the one person she loved and needed most. But not Joey. She let Indy fall more in love with me…and less in love with her. She carried the pain on her own shoulders, to try to keep it off of mine. And even more so, off of Indy’s.”
He went on to thank Joey for her sacrifices and reveal that he and Indy go visit “mama” every day. Joey’s grave site is on the couple’s property, so they make the trek down to the backfield to talk and visit with Joey.
“And for a little bit, we’re a family again,” he wrote. “Indy is on Joey’s lap and the world is right.”
