Mike Nappa - Hard Way Home: A Womans Inspiring Battle with Cancer and the Lives She Touched

When it became clear to us that Amy would die, I did something unthinkable. I texted my best friend and said, I need you to plan Amys funeral. It never occurred to me that I was asking Kevin to do something he shouldnt have to do. I just knew I needed him, and I knewwithout a second thoughtthat he would do whatever I needed. And he did. He never hesitated, never wavered. He just stepped into the gap and held me up when I couldnt bear my own weight.

Nearly 30 years before, Kev stood next to me as the best man at my wedding. And when the worst happened, when Amy was weak and I was undone, he stood beside me again, a faithful wind who lent me his strength. He came. He sat with Amy, he took notes, and he called funeral homes and crematoriums. He arranged every detail of Amys memorial service, making sure every moment from beginning to end was exactly what she wanted, in the church building she loved, performed exactly according to her last wishes. (Yes, we sang VBS songsand did the motions too. And there was chocolatelots of chocolate.)

After Amy was gone, Kevin texted me every morning, making sure I didnt die along with her. Get up, hed say. Make your bed. Eat something. Hug your grandchildren. Every day, several times a day, hed tell me to keep living. So I did because Kevin told me I had to.

For this reason and many more, the first person I must acknowledge here is my best friend for life, Kevin Ray Heard. Thank you. You are and have always been the best man.

After the funeral I hid in my basement for a long time. At some point during this timeI dont really recall whenone of Amys friends sent me a note on Facebook. I know you didnt save any of your posts from the Amy! Makes Me Smile group, Veronica Preston said. Would you allow me to collect those into one place for you?

At first I told her no, no thank you. Why would I ever want to read those again? A few days later, I reconsidered. Maybe thered come a time, someday, when I am stronger, when Id want to have these memories. Maybe. So I contacted Veronica and said quietly, Yes, if youre willing, Id like to have those posts. It took her almost a month, but she was faithful, and one day she sent me a very long Microsoft Word file that recounted every moment of Amys journey from life to death. That file eventually became this book.

So let it be said clearly, without Veronica Preston, Hard Way Home would not exist. Thank you, Veronica.

After a while, I dont remember how long, I tried to read the file Veronica sent me. I got about 40 pages in and had to give up. You know why. So I emailed my friend Michael Warden, a professional editor and accomplished life coach at Ascent Coaching Group. He generously volunteered his time and expertise. Michael started on page 1 and edited all the posts into a clean, coherent manuscriptsomething I dont think I would have ever been able to do. Thank you, Michael.

After that, I didnt do anything for a while. I just left this book sitting in a file on my computer. And people kept asking, When are you going to publish Amys story? And I kept saying, Im not. And in the back of my mind, I could almost hear my girl whispering, Im going to pray God changes your heart about that. Finally I decided to lay out a fleece or two before the Lord and see what happened. Next thing I knew, James Taylor had agreed to contribute the foreword and Pete Docter the afterword. Then Karen Pence, Dr. Gary Chapman, and Les and Leslie Parrott had all freely given endorsements. And I thought, Maybe theres something here after all. So yes, its true, without the support of these bighearted celebrities, this book would still be hiding in a file on my computer. Thank you, James, and Pete, and Karen, and Gary, and Les, and Leslie. You people are more generous than you should be. (But Im not complaining.)

Finally I took a chance and started sending the manuscript to publishers. Many rejected this book. Everyone has lived through a tragedy, one editor told me. That doesnt mean it should be a book. I had to agree.

Then Todd Hafer and Harvest House Publishers came along and surprised me. I will do all I can to make [this book] happen, Todd said. And he was good as his word. Thank you, Todd. Im grateful to you and the rest of the team at Harvest House for bringing Amys story to the world.

Finally, I told a group of Amys friends that this book was going to happen. These were the people who had prayed for us, encouraged us from day one to the end while Amy fought for her life. When they found out about the book, they rallied behind us once again. So to everyone on Amys Facebook Advance Teamthank you. May your name here remind you always of the difference you made in our girls lifeand her death:

Ali Thompson, Allie Marie Smith, Amber Bray Van Schooneveld, Amy Bishop, Angela Appleton, Angela Marie, Angie Vincent, Ann Marie Rozum, Ann Pugh, Anne Clark, April Jackson, Ashley McMullen Shaw, Audra Jennings, Barbara Ouradnik, Barbie Murphy, Beccy Donaldson Jones, Becky Alexander Helzer, Becky Goodman, Belinda Sanders, Bernadette Gaxiola, Beth Auckly-Cullum, Beth Bailey Hawes, Betty Stenzel, Beverly Morton Kinnibrugh, Brenna Strait, Brook Hickle, Candace McMahan, Carey Wiggins Scott, Carol Whalen Pohja, Carrie Keirns, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira, Charlene Ruppe Haugen, Cheri Gabriel, Cheryl Wong, Chris Hendershot Knox, Chris Nappa, Christy L. Sylvester, Christy Thompson, Cindy Barnhart, Cindy Cline Whittemore, Cindy Hansen, Cindy Jakel-Smith, Cindy Porter, Cindy Ross Milon, Claire Belyeu Cooley, Colleen Chadwick, Courtney Fassler Walsh, Cris Das Alsum, Crystilyn Exposito, Cynthia L Wolfe Coffing, Dale Gustafson, Dave Goltz, David Bauserman, Dawn Goodenough Canny, Dawn Maggard-Mickelson, Dayle Davidson, DeAnne Lear, Deb Taylor, Debbie Ebel, Debbie L Gilmour, Debbie Mills, Debby Albrecht, Debby Greene, Dee Humphrey, DeeAnn Kaiser Bragaw, Denise Silva, Denny and Philis Boultinghouse, Dian Coldeway Sustek, Diana Williams Anderson, Diane Morrow, Donna Ernest Simcoe, Dwight Magnus, Elisa Hansen, Elizabeth Grimm, Ellen Loser Frandsen, Emily Flick Maska, Epluribus C Cunningham, Eric Wilson, Erma Williams, Esther Boley, Fred Whaples, Gail McMurray Scheffers, Gary Lindsay, Gary Miller, Ginger McFarland Kolbaba, Gloria S. Lee, Gordon West, Greg Coles, Gwyn Borcherding, Heather Davis, Heather Eades, Heather Meacham, Heidi Fingerlin Lewis, Heidi Fjelstrom Short, Hillary Faith Coffman, HT Goody, Jack Cavanaugh, Jake Rasmussen, Jan Maxwell Kershner, Jan Schlotzhauer, Jane Hulse, Janet Adams Birdsong, Jay Swartzendruber, Jen Allen Castaneda, Jennie Orr, Jennifer Hanes, Jennifer Harris Nystrom, Jennifer Root Wilger, Jeremy Hite, Jeremy Tackett, Jerry Storz, Jessica Brown Van Lehn, Jessica Daugherty, Jill Frahm, Jill Wakefield Wuellner, Jim Nuth, Jim Parker, Jody Wakefield Brolsma, Joe Patterson, Jory Butler, Josh Carroll, Joy M. Williams, Joyce Elam Pierce, Judith Smith, Judy Goltz, Judy Vitkovich Camarena, Julie Flook, Julie Zampino Beam, Karen Harris Lanting, Karen Jesmain Shumate, Karen Jones Kelsheimer, Karen March, Karen Tysoe Muntzenberger, Kari Sanborn, Karol Kinder Ladd, Kate English Warnock, Kate Sabott, Kathi Kaasa Santeford, Kathi-Marc Schnake, Kathy Benson, Kathy Carlton Willis, Kathy Tucker, Kaylea Hutson-Miller, Kaylee Page, Kelli Kirk, Kelly Darby Wood, Kerrie Anderson, Kim Neeper, Kimberly Price, Kristine Zimmerman, Larry Shallenberger, Laura Adkins Mcfarlan, Laura Brady Kocum, Laura Ingegneri, Lauren Kristine Bratten, Laycie McClain, Lianne Bauserman, Linda Crawford, Lindsay Bryant, Lisa Bratten, Lisa Harris, Lisa Leuthauser, Lisa Mehrens Young, Liz Morton Duckworth, Lori Boland, Lori Haynes Niles, Mandi Nappa, Marcella Parmenter-Mancini, Mary Harrison Sims, Mary Hill, Mary Jablonsky, Melanie Joy Russell-Ertle, Melissa Schmid Towers, Melody Parrish White, Michael Warden, Michelle Anthony, Michelle Clavijo-Diaz, Mike Jones, Misty Huss, Nancy Friscia, Nancy Hiett Depperschmidt, Nancy Little, Nancy Wendland Feehrer, Natalie Gillespie, Natasha Pemberton-Todd, Nicole Lyn Vasquez, Nicole Spears, Pam Clifford, Pam Norman Shoup, Patricia Reinheimer, Paul Povolni, Paula Nordby-Smith, Penny Rosen, Randi Nussbaum, Rebbekka Messenger, Rebecca Crowder, Rene Jones, Renee Early, Rick Chromey, Ricky Wakefield, Robin Alm, Robin Depperschmidt-Williams, Robin Parker, Rochelle Maroney Dorsey, Rod Falanga, Roy Mayeda, Samantha Lucero, Samantha Wranosky, Scott Riley, Selma Johnson, Shannon Carolina, Shannon W Spencer, Sharel Kelsey, Shari England, Shari Kusaba Schwedhelm, Shari Newland Borders, Sheila Ann Spakes, Sheila Kopsell Halasz, Sheila Osebold, Sheila Reynolds Hunt, Shelli Aliff, Shelly Kelly, Sissy Ott, Sophia Winter, Stephanie GSchwind, Stephanie Seymore-Williams, Sue Corbran, Sue Lerdal Allen, Susan Brinkman, Susan Sellers, Suzi Jensen, Sylvia Nickele Miller, Tamara Park, Tami Lambertson, Tenetia Faircloth, Teresa Anderson, Teri Undreiner, Terri Durnbaugh, Terry Daly, Tiffany n Andrew Ayala, Timia Roehrkasse, Toby Rowe, Tom Tyrrell, Tonia Curtis Harrison, Tony Nappa, Tresa Becker Giroux, Tyson Lambertson, Valerie Hoecker Bakes, Valerie Williamson, Veronica Preston, Vicki Lickteig, Vickie R Thomas, Virginia Friesen, Wendy Fitzgerald, Wendy Jones, Winnie Wakefield, and Yvonne Kern.