Rory Feek’s new life and love

This month starts my 10th year of blogging, something I never anticipated when I posted my first piece in February 2015. This year I plan to revisit older posts to share updates and new insights with you. I am finding that some of these stories are updating themselves, like this one.

(note, there are affiliate links in this post)

In 2017 I watched a movie that moved me so much that I wrote a review of it, the first one I wrote.

To Joey, With Love

A Story of Life, Love, and Hope That Never Dies

90 minutes, with Spanish and English subtitles for the hearing impaired

Provident Films 2016

To Joey, with Love is the intimate, authentic, and transparent story of a couple who met head-on two of life’s most difficult challenges- a special needs child and a terminal illness. Rory Feek produced the film because he believed their story needed to be remembered, documented, and shared.

Joey and Rory

Joey and Rory Feek had a successful career as a country music singing duo and a happy 12-year marriage when they decided to take a year off to have a baby. For many years Joey had been afraid to have a baby, fearing she would not be a good mother.

Her pregnancy progressed normally and culminated in a planned at-home birth attended by a midwife. Sudden complications forced a trip to a hospital where both mother and baby were stabilized and in no immediate danger.

Unfortunately, the doctors and nurses told Joey and Rory that their much-anticipated child had a problem- their new baby girl had Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome. Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition. Approximately one in every 772 babies in the United States is born with Down syndrome – about 5,100 each year.

According to the National Down Syndrome Society

People with Down syndrome attend school, work, make decisions that affect them, have meaningful relationships, vote, and contribute to society in many wonderful ways.

All people with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, but the effect is usually mild to moderate. They each demonstrate strengths and talents despite their disability.

Quality educational programs, a stimulating home environment, good health care, and positive support from family, friends, and the community enable people with Down syndrome to lead fulfilling and productive lives.

 

Joey’s challenge-Cervical cancer

A few months after their baby Indiana’s birth, Joey faced the recurrence of cervical cancer diagnosed and treated years before. Despite more surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy the cancer persisted until further treatments were futile and and likely to cause more suffering.

Joey decided to leave their Nashville farm, her horses, chickens, and gardens, to move home to Indiana to spend her remaining time with her extended family.

 

FACED WITH THE PERSISTENCE OF THE CANCER
“JOEY DECIDED TO COME HOME-NOT TO DIE, BUT TO LIVE.”

Cervical cancer starts in the cervix, the narrow opening into the uterus from the vagina. More than 12,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and more than 4,000 women die from this disease.

Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer for women worldwide, but because it develops over time, it is also one of the most preventable types of cancer since the widespread use of the Pap test to detect cervical abnormalities leads to early treatment.

Use this link from the American Cancer Society to learn more about cervical cancer.

Rory Feek-musician and writer

In 2014 Rory Feek started sharing their story in a blog, this life I live, and on Facebook which is where I first learned about them. The blog story turned into a book, and eventually the movie.

 

 

 

This Life I Live: One Man’s Extraordinary, Ordinary Life, and the Woman Who Changed It Forever 

“In This Life I Live, Rory Feek helps us not only to connect more fully to his and Joey’s story but also to our own journeys. He shows what can happen when we are fully open in life’s key moments, whether when meeting our life companion or tackling an unexpected tragedy.

He also gives never-before-revealed details on their life together and what he calls “the long goodbye,” the blessing of being able to know that life is going to end and taking advantage of it. Rory shows how we are all actually there already and how we can learn to live that way every day.” (Amazon review)

Rory Feek-blogger and single dad

I haven’t followed Rory closely since then, but by chance, his blog popped up on my social media feed, with some surprising and welcome news. After 8 years of living on his farm and raising his daughter Indie as a single dad, Rory has fallen in love again.

In a blog post titled, “love comes softly”, he writes

This coming week will be eight years since Joey passed away and was laid to rest in the cemetery behind our farmhouse. In some ways, it feels as if nothing’s changed since that day in 2016, but in other ways, it feels like everything has. 

Although I can honestly tell you that after losing Joey I wasn’t sure it was even possible (actually I was fairly sure it wasn’t), love has shown up in my life again. Although in a quieter and gentler way than I knew before, it has come just the same. 

 And it’s been a wonderful thing. 

Rory Feek

 

He goes on to explain he has known Rebecca for several years since she came to his rural community to teach in the small school his daughter attends. He has always liked her, but his feelings had not grown beyond that, partly because he still has strong emotions for his late wife.Or so he thought.

Fortunately, Rebecca understands that, since she also grapples with grief from losing her mother and her sister to cancer, having cared for them before they died.

And though at times through the years her faith wavered, she never lost it, and like me, has recently found a deeper surrender and love for Christ than she’s ever known before. And to be able to share that together in this journey we’re on is what’s most important of all.

Rory

Continue reading Rory’s post at love comes softly.

 

Rory has also written several children’s books. You can find them at my shop on Bookshop.org

sharing the HEART of love and faith

Although I cried throughout the video,  I’m glad I watched To Joey, With Love, and recommend it to you; it is an extraordinary love story that demonstrates the power of love and faith to get ordinary people through the worst life can throw at them. It’s still available as a DVD and on some streaming services.

I’m happy to read about Rory’s new life and love and will resume following his blog. Maybe there will be a wedding to report later this year.

I’d love to have you join me for my next post where I share more information and inspiration to help you turn health challenges into health opportunities.

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Dr. Aletha