10/14/2026
Today is what would and should be Maddie’s 12th birthday. 💜
As I sit here trying to write this post, I can’t begin to explain the heartache that comes with this day. There are so many emotions, so many should haves, and so many moments I wish more than anything we could be celebrating with her.
Maddie should be rocking 6th grade at Norris with her friends. I see her friends riding their bikes to school, many of them wearing their Magic for Maddie sweatshirts, and my heart breaks all over again. She should be right there with them, riding her bike, laughing, making memories, and living her life. Instead, seeing her friends wearing their Magic for Maddie sweatshirts is a beautiful reminder of how much she is loved, but also a heartbreaking reminder that she should be right there beside them. She should be getting ready to finally play the beloved Quidditch, thinking about her first dance, and looking forward to all the adventures that come with being 12.
And yet, here we are. 💔
There is no way to make sense of a world where Maddie isn’t here to celebrate her 12th birthday. Nothing can change what happened to Maddie or to our family. We would give anything to have her here, to hear her laugh, to see her sass, to watch her grow, and to celebrate all the milestones that should have been hers.
But today, I will honor Maddie the best way I know how. I will celebrate her life, her light, her magic, and the incredible impact she continues to have on so many people. The days are hard, and the grief never really takes a day off. But what gets me through is my incredible family, my best friends, and the amazing community that continues to surround us with so much love.
I am beyond grateful to everyone helping us throw Maddie the best birthday party ever this Saturday at Magic for Maddie. She deserved that party and so much more. She deserved every birthday, every milestone, every adventure, and a lifetime of making memories. While we can’t give her the life she should have had, we can continue to celebrate the beautiful girl she was and keep her magic alive in everything we do.
Twelve years old. I wish more than anything that we were celebrating you here with us, Maddie. I wish I could hug you, squeeze you, and tell you one more time just how much you are loved. Instead, we will keep loving you, missing you, celebrating you, and finding ways to bring your sparkle into this world.
Happy 12th birthday, Maddie. You should be here, and we will never stop wishing you were. We miss you every minute of every day. We love you to the moon and stars and back again,
Mom 💜✨
