My Keri

11,125 days. What can you do with 11,125 days? What impact can you have on the world? What lessons can you teach others? What legacy can you create?

In 11,125 days, Keri changed our world. Anyone who knows her and even those who never met her are forever changed for the better because of those 11,125 days we were blessed to have Keri here on Earth.

Keri is the greatest person I have ever known. I have always said she is the good one and the favorite. And although I tease, I know it is true. How could Keri not be your most favorite person? She is the epitome of humility, grace, courage, selflessness, positivity, love and faith.

Keri was MY baby doll, my confidant, my right arm, my heart, my very best friend in the world. I am forever grateful that all of my best memories are with her and that I got to witness the miracle that she is to so many people.

I’m lucky that I got to witness her impact on the world from Day 1. As kids, Keri was always feisty, fearless, curious, joyful, and the most tender hearted person you could meet. Qualities she shares with her sweet babies and I see in Cale and Reese every day. Keri always knew what she wanted and she’d get it. She knew what she wanted to do, and she would do it! Some may say she was stubborn; I like to think she was persistent because she was so confident in her desires. When we were little, our parents took us to the horse park at Louisville, Kentucky. We each got to pick a horse to sit on and take our picture with. Because I was always the chicken, I chose to sit in a cart pulled by a tiny pony (which Keri laughed about our whole life). But Keri, oh no, she chose the tallest, biggest horse she could find to sit on. In the picture of her, you can barely see her on top of the horse, but there she is grinning that big Keri smile because knew what she wanted and she got her way.

She loved to learn new things and how things worked, and to explore places and things that intrigued her. She was always adventurous and willing to try anything. I can’t begin to tell you how many recipes she tried to create in the kitchen. You’d open the freezer and see some wild concoction of everything you could find in the kitchen put together in a bowl. There’s no telling how many of her recipes we had to try out. And she always was ready to climb the tree at my Granny’s house as soon as we got there, without fear at all because she wanted to see from the same spots the birds and squirrels could see from.

Keri was genuinely joyful about everything. Probably the happiest kid you could ever meet. I’m pretty sure you cannot find any pictures of her not smiling, unless she was making a silly face of some kind. One of my favorite things that shows how joyful she was whenever she would receive a gift. She always gave me such a hard time because I don’t react the way she does to gifts. But anytime Keri would open a present, she would react like you have just given her a million dollars or a new puppy. Even if it was a pack of underwear or a box of crayons, she was so overjoyed that you had thought enough of her to give her a gift. She was sincere in her reaction because she so appreciated that people loved her so much they would give her a gift. We all know that Keri was our gift.

And boy did she have a tender heart of animals. Dogs, cats, cows, rabbits, you name it, she loved it! Back when camcorders came out, my parents bought one. You know the kind that you had to put on your shoulder (It was the late 80s after all). Anyways, one of our first videos shows Keri’s compassion for animals best. We had a dog that had a litter of puppies. Keri always fell in love with the runts of the litter. One night she brought the runt in the house so she could love on it. While she was lying in the floor, she all of a sudden jumps up screaming “oooh gross, it pooped on me!” She laughed, we laughed, and it really was so funny. We watched that video over and over laughing at it. But if you keep watching through to the next scene, you really see her tender heart. She got the puppy back after she had cleaned herself up and was loving on it and rubbing it because she was worried that “it thought nobody loved it now”. That was her tenderheart. Oh, and if anyone has ever been in a car with Keri, when you see a turtle on the road, you know you have to stop so she can move it to the side of the road it was heading, so no one runs over it.

As we got older, new qualities began to emerge: humbleness, selflessness, and kindness. Keri was extremely talented at so many things like softball, drawing, and teaching. But you couldn’t tell her this without her laughing you off humbly and saying , “No, I’m not” and then telling you how great she thought another person was at those things. She never saw herself as more special or better than someone else. She was also so humbled and appreciative of all of the gifts, support, and prayers she received during her Crazy Strong journey.

Keri was incredibly selfless- always thinking of others. She always did special things for her students and especially for her babies. She was meticulously thoughtful about gifts for people. She loved to help special causes whether it was by donating money, running in a 5K to raise money for a cause, buying t-shirts to support flood relief, or volunteering. When the flood happened in 2010 she wanted to volunteer, but not just anywhere, she volunteered in an area in Nashville that some family friends of my grandparents lived. One of my favorite things that we did together was volunteer as camp counselors at the Victory Junction Gang camp. She had heard of the camp, learned all about it, and then asked me to go with her. What an experience! The camp touched her heart because it was a place where kids who deal with illnesses can go and spend a week doing fun camp stuff just like “normal” kids do. I see now how important and experience like that can be.

Keri’s volunteer and giving spirit never stopped. Just two weeks ago during some precious sister time, she talked about how much she couldn’t wait to be able to help others out the way everyone was so kind in helping her and her family out. Even during her hard times, she was reaching out to others in similar situations giving them advice, hope, an ear to listen. And if anyone ever asked her how she was doing, you know you had to tell her how you were first before she would ever talk about herself. Her selfless acts are far too numerous to mention them all, but I’m sure you can all think of a time she showed you how selfless she was.

And her kindness- there was not a mean bone in her body! She always ALWAYS saw the good in every person and situation. You never heard a mean or unkind thing come out of her mouth. And she always stood up for those who couldn’t speak for themselves.

Love and faith are the two biggest traits that Keri exemplified. Both grew exponentially each year and was especially strong through her Crazy Strong journey. Everyone here knows what it meant to be loved by Keri. A warm happy feeling down to your soul. A love that made you want to be that way to others. Her love made you feel special on the darkest days and inspired you to be greater on your brightest days. She didn’t have to tell you she loved you for you to know because she showed you and you felt it just being around her.

13 years ago she met the love of her life and began the most inspiring love story that will continue to last far beyond this world. I know she was eternally grateful to love and be loved by her real live “Superman”. Becoming a mom was her greatest and happiest accomplishment. I don’t know anyone more overjoyed and proud of motherhood as Keri. She loved every single second she was with Cale and Reese. Always hands on, always making life fun, always showering them with hugs, kisses, encouragement, and love. At such young ages, you can see the amazing influence her motherhood has had on Cale and Reese. A true testament to the love she shares with Daniel and their love for their two sweet babies.

Finally, Keri’s faith is bigger than any fear, problem, or circumstance that came about. I was so blessed to be with her on our journey to growing our faith as kids. We were saved together, baptized together, and learned a lot about God together. Although the past couple of years tested her faith, as well as all of ours, she never waivered! Each day, her faith grew stronger and as a result, so did mine, as well as many many others. She was a witness to how Christ can work through you for others. I know many people who now know Jesus because of Keri. What a great testimony! Keri loved inspirational faith quotes and scripture. We would send each other these quotes and verses and talk about how God was speaking to our circumstances through these. One of Keri’s favorite verses was Psalms 121: 1-2 “I lift my eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth”. This verse was with her through her Crazy Strong journey and I’m so thankful knowing she is with the Lord now in Heaven, smiling her BIG BIG smile!

So, in 11,125 days what impact did Keri have? Look around- look at the people who are here, think about those who couldn’t be here today that she touched through her actions, words, and life. Listen to the stories of strength, hope, faith, and love that people share about Keri. Look at the acts of kindness people perform for strangers or each other because that’s what Keri would do. Look at the people who believe in Christ because of Keri.

In 11,125 days what lessons did Keri teach us? To love one another the way Christ loves us. To be kind to others. To be selfless and humble. To live each day to its fullest. To live without regrets. To SHOW people you love t hem as much as you tell them. And to share God’s word and never, ever, EVER give up!

After 11,125 short days, what legacy does Keri leave with us? Her KINDNESS for all things big and small. Her SMILE that could brighten the darkest days. Her LOVE: unconditional and selfless. Her FAITH that can move mountains. We can carry her legacy on and keep it alive for her sweet babies and all of the people of the world. That’s what she would want. As I told Keri on Tuesday, she was definitely a Proverbs 31 woman- she was clothed with strength and dignity and she laughed without fear of the future. What a legacy!

So although we are sad and broken from our loss of such a light to the world, let us always remember Keri’s lessons, her legacy, her great big smile, and her impact on each of us and others. Let us use OUR days, however many they may be, to make such an impact and carry on her legacy. Let us strive to be better people because we knew her. Let us always do for others because of her giving heart. Let us always move the turtles out of the road because she cared for all things big and small. Let us always smile BIG smiles because one smile can change a life. And let us always know and follow Christ, so one day we can go to Heaven where there is no pain or suffering, just happiness and love, and our sweet smiling Keri.

I love you infinity Keri!