5 Things I learned from my Nephew, Joey Keller (2003-2012)

          On Sunday, November 18th, 2012, my nephew Joey Keller lost his fight with the cancer he had battled for 2 years. Even though he only lived 9 short years, Joey’s life impacted tens of thousands of people and will continue to do so for a long, long time. I’m proud of my nephew. In fact, in the last few weeks I’ve been able to reflect on what he taught me.

1. Joey taught me what it means to be a Fighter.
           Over the last 2 years, we all watched Joey fight the fight of ten lifetimes. No child should have to go through what Joey went through, but he fought hard and with focus. He never gave up and he made his parents proud! Real proud.

          The last time I got to see Joey in person was in late-August at his home outside of Indianapolis. Sarah and I were able to spend 2 hours with him laughing, playing legos and telling stories about his dad and my childhood.

       As I was leaving, I asked Joey if I could have one of his thousands of Lego Star Wars figurines. Before he committed he asked, “Which one?” To which I replied, “The one that most resembles you.”
          At that moment, after having not left his chair for 2 hours, he stood up, got his walker and walked boldly across the room to a stack of lego cases. Without hesitation, he pulled off the top 3 cases and opened the 4th one. He reached in, took out the Luke Skywalker figurine dressed in his flight suit and helmet and put a spear in his hand.

          Walking back across the room, he handed it to me definitively and said, “Here. This is me.”

          Yep. That was Joey. Joey, the Fighter. The fighter with a spear in his hand. Joey’s life taught me to fight. To never give up. To always stay focused on the job at hand and on what’s at stake. Joey was a fighter.

2. Joey taught me what it means to have Faith… Real Faith.
          Anyone who spent any time with Joey knows he lived a faith like I’ve never seen in another child. Joey believed the Word of God. He believed in Jesus. In the face of daunting odds, Joey never wavered in his belief that God loved him and had a good plan for him. Joey trusted God at his word, even when what he saw in the natural didn’t look positive.

          Joey’s faith inspires me to live a more faith-filled life. I’m often prone to let my circumstances effect my faith, but because of the faith Joey had, I will always be reminded to trust God at His Word, even when my circumstances scream something different.

3. Joey’s life taught me that Miracles are Real.
          Thousands of people know the final story of Joey’s life, but very few probably know the story of how his life began. From the beginning, Joey was a miracle. I watched my brother and Elizabeth struggle to get pregnant for 7 years. After trying all sorts of things and begging God for a child, they finally resolved that it wasn’t meant to be.

          And then it was. And his name was Joey.

         When Joey was still a toddler, he was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy that made many “normal” childhood activities much more dangerous to his health. Under the careful watch of Nick and Elizabeth, Joey lived everyday as a miracle.

          And of course, over the last 2 years to watch his life inspire tens of thousands of people across the world has been nothing short of miraculous. Though Joey Keller’s years on this earth were small, there is nothing small about the impact his life has made.

4. Joey taught me what it means to live in the Now!

          Joey knew how to be fully present in any given moment. From playing Wii with a friend or with his cousins, to being quick witted with a sarcastic comeback to his dad, Joey knew how to live fully present in every moment. Wherever he was, he was always, all there.

           So often the hurry and worry of life can keep me from being fully present in the moments that make up my life. 

          Joey taught me this lesson well, and my wife, my kids, and my work will forever be better for it.

5. Joey taught me that Eternity is Forever and this is just the Beginning.
          Joey’s life is a testament to the fact that life is short, and eternity is long. Though it seems hard to grasp right now, this life is but a vapor the Bible says. Joey lived a short, but powerful life. Joey’s impact on so many will be the legacy that any father, or uncle, would be proud of. Joey makes me happy that this life is not all there is. I can’t wait to see him again one day.

          “Thank you Joey for the life you lived, the fight you fought, the impact you made and the lessons you taught me. I will live my life different now because of you. You were a great nephew. I will miss your cute voice, your dry, sarcastic sense of humor and your incredible knack for building legos. You lived your journey well… and you honored our Keller name. May I live my journey in such a way as to honor your name as well.”

I love you, Joey Keller,

May the force be with you,

Uncle Matt