We honored Karly’s life the best way we knew how….through her music, her words, her poetry, by hearing her last composition live for the first time during the service, with candles providing the light she loved, beautiful flowers adding to the color she loved, photos of a life well lives and sharing our story. One full of mystery, inspiration, pain, loss, great joy, grief, great love, creativity, faith and freedom.
Thank you to the hundreds who came from all over the country to join us in loving and remembering Karly. She brought so much light into the world and we feel her loss so deeply. She often told us over the past 12 years to remember, “the day I die will be the best day! It will be the day I get my freedom.” I always told her if that day came I would try my best to remember her words, because it would be a very sad day for me as her mom.
In a 2010 chapel talk Karly prepared for other adults living with physical disabilities, she said:
“We get caught up in what we want to have happen in our lives, and forget that God has a much bigger vision for us than we could possibly have for ourselves.
God knows who we should meet. He knows who will help us fill out His plan for our lives. We don’t need to force anything But I can tell you that if I don’t respond when God gives me a chance, even if it seems small, I miss an opportunity to partner with God. Don’t miss the small opportunities. They are NOT small to God. Don’t get so worried about the big things that you neglect the little.
God will open doors to you and give you a life you feel great about. I have found that my life, even with all it’s struggles, is a life that I love. And maybe God is stronger in my life, BECAUSE of my disability, not in SPITE of it.”
This is how she lived, as best she could everyday in spite of enormous challenges. Thanks for all your wisdom, love and light Karly. We will not forget!
With great love, Lois (Karly’s Mom)
Karly’s latest piece of music will remain untitled. She finished it a few weeks before she died and was unable to let us know its’ title.
Inspired By Love 