Mary loved to capture every moment on her camera–from the mundane to the amazing. That included our walk on the trails of Battle Park on a beautiful day in January 2013 in her new home of Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Mary’s photo story of the walk with her sister, AnnaLeah, dad, and mom is set to Horatio Spafford’s well-known hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul.” Fitting in so many ways. Peace like a river attendeth my soul.
Photography by Mary Lydia Karth (with a few by her mom as well):
It’s a new day.
Full of possibilities.
What will it bring? What does He have in store for me?
Looking forward to being a part of it.
Stifled Grief: How the West Has It Wrong Huff Post (Common Grief)
It is my grief — my ongoing heartfelt loss — which compels me to ask these questions.
Is Cost/Benefit Analysis Appropriate for Life & Death Matters? Were their lives worth saving?
AnnaLeah and Mary loved their niece and nephew to the moon and back (except when they were fussy!). They would have loved their brand-new precious nephew as well.
I have to admit when I saw this photo of him today–one month old–I couldn’t help but think how cheated we all were. They will never know him here. He will never know them. But I am very grateful for this new bundle of joy brought into our family.
Photo Album of Mary & Gertie’s Namesake: Our For-Real St. Bernard
I will never forget what Mary wrote to herself, “I hope that I will be living every day as if it were my last.” And she and her sister did–full of laughter and joy. Loving. . .
Forever sisters. . .
People who die as a result of traffic crashes usually have no warning and, for the most part, were not doing something intentional to warrant such an untimely end.
Whatever the cause of their death, what is the best way to honor the memories of those hundreds of thousands of loved ones? One way is to share their stories and photos. Another way is to work diligently in their memory to reduce crash deaths so that others do not have to suffer the same tragic end to their earthly life–and putting an end to this traffic crash epidemic.
Here is one Victim Memorial Page: Truck Crash Victim Memorials at Truck Safety Coalition
Here is an idea I had a while ago for making these stories more visible: Digital photo/video montage of the countless people who have had their lives cut short by a tragic crash.
What would you suggest? Email your ideas to me at marianne@annaleahmary.com.
Celebrating the life and laughter of our May birthday girl: AnnaLeah Karth (Forever 17)
Colorful. Creative. Compassionate. Insightful.
It seems like only yesterday — only it was three years ago — that we found ourselves celebrating Vanessa’s four year-old birthday on the day when we had planned to have a joint celebration on AnnaLeah’s 18th birthday. . . May 15, 2013.
(Stolen from us by a preventable truck crash.)
In 11 years, we will celebrate Vanessa’s 18th birthday–the age that AnnaLeah would have been that day. Won’t that seem odd as our 2 girls remain young and the rest of us get older?
Some Photo Albums of a Beautiful, Loving Girl
AnnaLeah Birthday Girl Photo Album
Grace Girls Appreciated AnnaLeah For over three years, AnnaLeah took care of the babies and preschoolers of moms who attended a morning Bible Study group called Grace Girls. She had a gift with young children. She enjoyed them and they loved her. The moms appreciated AnnaLeah and let her know so. Photos show a Christmas card she received from them, as well as a farewell card to her when we were moving away from Midland, along with lots of photos of AnnaLeah with little ones.
Joy in the Journey. . . laughing with AnnaLeah Okay, so I posted the Buddies Forever photos and then decided that I wanted to post a photo of AnnaLeah’s hair to see how it matched her Buddy’s hair. In the process, I ran across a series of photos which Isaac took in 2009 when we were preparing for the Family Promise=Hope puppet program and wanted to create a “wedding portrait” of the Mom & Dad puppets for their bedroom wall as a stage prop. AnnaLeah and I held the puppets as he took the photos and we were having such a fun time. Finding joy in the journey…then & now.
Weeping Willow Memories. . . she was so creative Mary and AnnaLeah enjoyed a spring-like day in the winter of 2009 at Grafa Park in Midland, Texas. The branches of a weeping willow tree became the setting for the unleashing of their imagination. (Preserved for us by their sister, Susanna Karth)
Sarah Eaton’s Photos of AnnaLeah & Mary Sarah shares these thoughts about AnnaLeah and Mary from Midland, Texas: So many good memories with those girls. They may be gone but they lived life to the fullest! I am so thankful to have gotten to know them even if it was just for a couple of years!
Locks of Love. . . Mary’s braids are beautiful. Maybe, when I am not here anymore, my family might decide to donate them to Locks of Love. But right now, they are all that I have left of her, and I am going to keep them. (Wish I had AnnaLeah’s as well…)
AnnaLeah served from her heart. She was very handy with her hands–though construction was not her forte but rather crafts. Young children especially loved her.
I love to see AnnaLeah’s genuine smile and love of her niece and nephew and books, books, books!
While Mary played, AnnaLeah diligently got the job done! : )
I was so proud of AnnaLeah as she matured and gave to those around her. She was insightful and taught me a lot. I don’t know that I ever affirmed her fully or told her enough how much I loved her. To the moon and back. See you soon, raccoon (not soon enough).
Just tonight, someone heard the ringtone on my phone and smiled. It was one that Mary recorded not all that long before she died. I’ve left it on my phone.
How about that? Mary is still spreading joy.
(Well, now that makes me smile and cry at the same time.)
Hear her here:
Thank you, Mary.
In this month of May, not only do we remember our girls, AnnaLeah (forever 17) and Mary (13), but also the multitude of caring people who surrounded our entire family with love and prayer and tangible support in the aftermath of a crash which shattered our world and broke our hearts.
We will never be able to thank them all enough, but I like to try. From Georgia to North Carolina to Michigan to Texas to Indiana–and many other places far & wide–there were people caught up in the tragedy with us. Please know that we will never forget.
Photo Album from Trip which Jerry and I took to Georgia, December 2013
Every day’s a holiday with Mary. . . remembering Simply Mary Moments
A Short Film produced & directed by Isaac Karth & Samuel Karth, and starring Mary Lydia Karth: Gremlins in the Basement
And, I love this! Spontaneous moments with Mary (about age 6)–trailer from the making of the above film with her older brothers, Gremlins in the Basement:
