Joey Jello lived more life in his less than 28 years than most people live in 80. He was my brother, and therefore, a very special person to me, but his life impacted so many people across the country. Those who knew him can tell you how outstanding he was, how he changed each of their lives. This is the story of how he changed mine. I’ve known him since I was six-years-old, having met him just moments after his birth, yet I failed to see so much of who he was and what he was saying with his life. His death opened my eyes to the greatness of the gift he was to me, and I want to honor him by chronicling the ripples in my life.

As I walk through the pain and recovery of losing my brother, I know that there will continue to be hard days, but I believe that I will uncover in myself greater beauty and strength than I ever expected. The time has come for me to stop waiting until… and to start doing life. Writing this blog is part of the doing for me, as writing is my passion, my long-yearned for vocation.

If you choose to come along on this journey with me, I welcome you. I hope you find inspiration and encouragement to be more and to do more, but if nothing else, tell someone you love them today. You never know when it might be your last chance to say so.

I love you, Joe!