It's the time of year when we ask for your help to share Austin's light and his memory by donating books to Austin's Library Project for the library at our favorite school. To date, there are over 1500 books in the library that were donated in Austin's name.
We've made donating to Austin's Library Project EASY! You can purchase books from our Amazon wishlist and have them shipped directly to us. (Please, MAKE SURE TO SELECT “JUSTIN ADAMS” AS THE SHIPPING ADDRESS when you check out.) By selecting this option the books will be delivered to our doorstep. We will add a label with Austin's name on the inside and deliver the books to the school in early August. We’d love for you to include a gift receipt with your name so we know who has donated the book. Also, If you'd also include your address, we'd like to send you a special note from our family. Here's the link to the amazon wishlist. (If you prefer to donate monetarily, there are QR codes at the bottom of this post.)
Please share this LINK with your friends and family to help us reach our goal of donating 500 books to the library. Thank you for helping us to create a space that will benefit so many children. This school holds a special place in our hearts. Sharing, Austin's light and having him making a continual positive impact on hundreds of children through books helps our hearts to heal.
When we started Austin's Library Project in June of 2019, I naively thought that I'd never miss Austin more than I did then. I was SO wrong!! As we approach his 13th birthday (July 2nd) and the 4th anniversary of his passing we hear his name less often than we used to but with every single second of every single day he is deeply missed. "Deeply missed" sounds like hardly an explanation of our reality. This time of year is so difficult!! As in years past, we're doing our best to share Austin's memory and love of reading with hundreds of children in our area.
As we approach the 4 year mark, I can still remember June of 2018 like it was yesterday. It also seems like a lifetime away. How does that even make sense? I clearly remember feeling deep gratitude and so much joy. We were in such a good place. We were making some much needed improvements in our home. The kids were on summer vacation. Justin had a new(ish) job that he was so happy in and was much more conducive to the family life we wanted. I had a job that I loved. I was putting the finishing touches on the release of four signature collections of scrapbooking products. A dream come true! I was days away from leaving on a girls trip to Spain with my mom, sister, and aunt. We were planning our first family vacation where we would travel on an airplane. We had our family photos taken for the year. I can't describe my feelings during that time other than it was simply joy, deep gratitude and contentment.
As you know, our lives came crashing down on June 29th 2018 when Austin (who was 9 at the time) went into cardiac arrest. The next five days were a blur as we cared for Austin and looked forward to the day when we could walk out of the hospital. We envisioned holding his hand as we walked out the doors take him home. We fully expected and prayed for that day, a day never came. We had to say our goodbyes to our sweet little man in that hospital where we had the most difficult days we have ever encountered. Finding words to describe watching Austin slip away on the night of July 4th 2018 and saying those final words to him is impossible. We said goodbye as the rest of the country was celebrating and watching fireworks. How could everyone be celebrating when my heart was shattering?!? It still boggles my mind. The days, weeks, and months that followed were devastating at best. We had some joyful days and some days that were so heartbreaking I never could have imagined the pain of living without my sweet boy. Our best days are always accompanied by a deep sadness that will never go away. Four years...it's been four years since we held Austin in our arms. I don't even understand how that is possible.
Overall, we're doing well and finding our way. Some days are still difficult, other days are less painful. There will always be deep love and deep grief for Austin, always! We're moving forward in the best way that we know how.
"Grief is more than missing someone; it is an unrelenting ache for reality to be different and for the impossible to come true." -Unknown
Thank you for your love and support! We're so grateful for your help in making Austin's Library Project a huge success. We couldn't do it without each one of you!
Love,
The Adams Family
Justin, Becki, Cole, Kayleigh and especially Austin ❤️
