Why We Choose to Celebrate Anyway

There’s a reason I share these stories.

Not because they are easy.

But because they’re not.

Because I have learned — over and over again — that even in the hardest moments of life, God places something good right beside them.

And if you’re willing to look for it…

you’ll find it.

That is the heart of The Celebrate Company.

Shining God’s light.

Especially when it feels the hardest to see.

This story starts with my daughter, Ema.

And basketball.

Basketball has always been part of our family.

It’s how I was raised — by my Grandpa GG.

It’s how we connect.

It’s how we celebrate.

It’s how we get through things.

And from a very young age…

it became part of who Ema is too.

Seven years ago, she was just a little girl.

Playing at recess.

Laughing with her friends.

Running to the hoop every chance she got.

Basketball wasn’t just a game to them.

It was joy.

And then, overnight…

everything changed for her class.

Tessa.

Her parents.

Killed by a 21 year old drunk driver on March 17, 2019.

St. Patrick’s Day.

A loss that no child should have to carry that young.

A desk that suddenly sat empty.

A friend who was no longer there to run beside her.

And for a moment…

even the game felt different.

Heavier.

Quieter.

But here’s what I’ve come to believe with my whole heart:

God meets us right there.

That same day we lost Tessa and her parents was NCAA Selection Sunday.

That Monday, Ema’s class was randomly assigned a March Madness team for the annual school bracket competition.

Winning teams gets an out of uniform day and a pizza party.

Out of all the teams…

they drew Texas Tech.

And what unfolded that season still feels like one of those moments you don’t question…

you just recognize.

Game after game…

Texas Tech kept winning.

And that classroom kept watching.

Together.

Slowly…

something shifted.

The same kids who were grieving…

started cheering again.

Started playing again.

Started finding joy again.

The basketball hoop that once felt like a reminder of loss…

became something else.

A place to gather.

A place to remember.

A place to heal.

That’s what basketball does.

It brings people together.

It lifts.

It gives you something to hold onto when everything else feels uncertain.

And for Ema…

that season planted something deep inside her.

A love for the game.

A resilience.

A quiet strength.

Seven years later…

she’s still playing a game she loves.

Still grounded.

Still rising.

And still wearing number #7 - just like her mom’s high school soccer jersey.

Also, wore #12 - just like her dad’s Wisconsin 2002 state champion basketball jersey.

And just last night…

she asked me for a picture of her friend.

Because love like that doesn’t leave.

And neither does faith.

Looking back now, I see it clearly:

Seven years.

One story.

So many moments that were never random.

God didn’t remove the hard.

He placed something good right beside it.

And that is why The Celebrate Company exists.

Because I have lived what happens when life breaks you open…

and something meaningful still finds its way in.

A moment.

A team.

A story.

A child who keeps remembering.

That is what we do.

We find it.

We share it.

We celebrate it.

And today, I’m sharing something else with you too.

I am no longer with Alopex.

And I see this moment not as a loss — but as a return.

To my roots.

To my calling.

To The Celebrate Company.

I’ll be focusing my energy on what has always been at the center of my heart:

• Sharing stories like this

• Building community

• Uplifting others

• Helping people see the light in hard places

As we approach Easter, I’m also working toward completing my memoir:

HOMESTEAD — The Covenant Love That Stayed and the Angels Who Led Me Home

A story of faith, family, and the moments that carried us home.

If this story resonates with you, I’d love for you to follow along:

https://www.thecelebratecompany.com/blog

Because I believe this with everything I have:

God is always working.

Even in the hardest moments.

Especially in the hardest moments.

And sometimes…

He shows up through a team,

a season,

a number you don’t forget,

and a girl who keeps choosing to rise.

Rise Up! Take Courage! And, Do It!

Ezra 10:4