VALIANT BATTLE, SHE PASSEDED AWAY AT JUST 40E YEARS YEARS OLD
>> THEIR LOVE STORY, OF COURSE,
WAS AN INSPIRATION.
ALTHOUGH IT’S BEEN MORE THAN TWO
YEARS SINCE JOEY PASSEDED AWAY,
HER MEM I HAVE ALIFE AT THE FARM
WHERE RORY FEEK LIVES IN THEIR
FARM IN INDIANA.
WHAT MAKES THIS PLACE SO
SPECIAL?
SPECIAL? >> WILL WITH, THE BIGGEST THING
FOR ME THAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL
IS THE STORY THAT’S UNFOLDED
HERE.
HERE. >> WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PARTS
OF THAT STORY?
>> WELL, I FELL IN LOVE.
WE HAD A BABY.
MY WIFE AND I WERE ABLE TO GROW
A MUSIC CAREER HERE.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW,
EVEN THOUGH WE’RE HERE WITHOUT
HER, SHE IS STILL HERE.
SHE IS BURIESD IN THE CEMETERY
BACK THERE.
BACK THERE. IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND TRAGIC AT
THE SAME TIME.
BUT THE BEAUTIFUL OUTWEIGHS THE
TRAGIC.
TRAGIC. >> A BIG PART OF THAT BEAUTIFUL
FOR RORY IS INDIANA, HIS
4 1/2-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WITH
JOEY.
JOEY. INDIANA WAS JUST 2 WHEN HER MOM
DIED.
DIED. >> TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW SHE’S
DOING.
DOING. >> SHE’S AMAZING.
WHEN YOU FIND OUT THAT YOUR
LITTLE ONE HAS DOWN SYNDROME,
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOING
TO GET.
TO GET. IT’S JUST TURNED OUT THAT SO FAR
SHE’S REALLY JUST A NORMAL KID.
SHE’S WALKING AND TALKING REALLY
WELL AND SHE’S SO SMART.
WHAT A GIFT TO HAVE HER.
CAN’T BE IN PLACE OF JOEY, BUT
JUST AS A GREAT WAY TO FEEL
JOEY’S LOVE EVERY DAY.
>> ONE OF YOUR DREAMS WAS TO
HOME-SCHOOL, HAVE INDIANA GO TO
A SCHOOL RIGHT HERE CLOSE TO
YOU.
YOU. THAT DREAM’S COME TRUE.
>> I’M JUST ABSOLUTELY THRILLED.
WHO GETS TO HAVE A SCHOOLHOUSE
AT THEIR FARM?
>> NOT MANY PEOPLE.
>> WHO GETS TO HAVE A
SCHOOLHOUSE AT THEIR FARM
WITHIN, YOU KNOW, 100 YARDS OF
WHERE THEIR MOMMA’S PASSED AWAY
PANE
PANE AND BURIED.
AND BURIED. IT JUST DOESN’T GET TO HAPPEN.
BUT IT IS.
>> RORY INVITED ME TO TAKE A
TOUR OF THE NEW SCHOOL WHICH
WELCOMED 12 STUDENTS THIS YEAR
WITH ALL DIFFERENT LEARNING
ABILITIES.
ABILITIES. >> THIS IS MISS JENNA.
CAN YOU GIVE A HUG?
>> THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A
HUG.
HUG. IT’S NICE TO MEET YOU.
TODAY THE KIDS WERE IN FOR A
SPECIAL TREAT.
SPECIAL TREAT. RORY READING TO THEM HIS BRAND
NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK, "THE COW
SAID NEIGH."
SAID NEIGH." >> DO YOU WANT TO HELP ME READ?
A FORM STORY BY INDIANA’S PAPA.
>> AND AFTER A NEARLY TWO YEAR
BREAK, RORY RECENTLY STARTED
FOREMANING AGAIN AT THE CONCERT
HALL ON THE FARM.
♪ LOSE HER MAN
I CLOSE MY EYES SO I CAN SEE ♪
♪ I NEVER LOSE ♪
>> MY HEART WASN’T QUITE READY.
BUT THERE WERE SO MANY WONDERFUL
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> OCCASIONALLY A SPECIAL GUEST
MAKES A CAMEO.
>> WHAT DO YOU TELL YOUR
DAUGHTER ABOUT HER MOM?
DO Y’ALL TALK ABOUT HER A LOT?
>> OH, YEAH.
SHE TALKS ABOUT HER A LOT.
SHE KNOWS HER MUSIC AND
ESPECIALLY THE HYMNS ALBUM.
SHE SINGS EVERY WORD OF THE
HYMNS ALBUM.
HYMNS ALBUM. ♪
♪ I KNOW ♪
I KNOW ♪ >> I THINK SHE’S NOT QUITE OLD
ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND WHY MOMMA
ISN’T WALKING HER TO SCHOOL.
OR HELPING US MAKE BREAKFAST IN
THE MORNINGS.
THE MORNINGS. BUT SHE IS OLD ENOUGH TO
UNDERSTAND THAT SHE’S HERE AND
SHE HAS A MOMMA.
AND HER NAME IS JOEY.
>> YOUR FAITH IS REMARKABLE.
I KNOW THAT SO MANY PEOPLE
WATCHING WHO HAVE LOST PEOPLE
THEY LOVE WANT SOME OF THAT.
HOW DO YOU FIND THIS FAITH IN
THE DARKEST TIMES?
>> WHEN YOU GET TO BE PART OF
AMAZING THINGS THAT HAPPEN, YOU
CAN’T BE UPSET THAT YOU DON’T
GET MORE OF IT.
I DON’T GET MORE THAN 14 YEARS
WITH JOEY.
WITH JOEY. I JUST TRY AND REMAIN GRATEFUL
FOR WHAT I’VE BEEN PART OF.
AND MOSTLY, I JUST BELIEVE THAT
MORE GOOD THINGS CAN HAPPEN.
AND SO FOR SOME REASON THE
GRATITUDE HAS A WAY OF
OVERSHADOWING THE GRIEF.
♪
♪ >> WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR WIFE
IS THINKING WHEN SHE LOOKS DOWN
AND SEES THE SCHOOLHOUSE AND
THIS LIFE THAT YOU’RE STILL
LIVING?
LIVING? >> I THINK SHE WOULD SAY MY
HUSBAND’S CRAZY.
HUSBAND’S CRAZY. GOOD JOB.
GOOD JOB. >> OH, Y’ALL, I HAD THE BEST DAY
WITH HIM.
WITH HIM. I REALLY DID.
YOU KNOW ONE THING HE SAID THAT
STRUCK ME THAT I GOT HOME AND
TOLD MY HUSBAND WAS THAT HE HAS
TWO OLDER KIDS, ONE OF WHOM IS
GETTING MARRIED.
GETTING MARRIED. SHE CAME OUT TO HIM AND IS
GETTING MARRIED TO HER
GIRLFRIEND ON THEIR FARM AND
LOVE PREVAILED.
LOVE PREVAILED. HE SAID I USED TO THINK OH,
GORBY HAVE TO CHANGE A DIAPER OR
TAKE OUT TRASH.
THEN WITH INDIANA, HE THOUGHT,
YOU KNOW, TAKING OUT THE TRASH
OR CHANGING A DIAPER IS LIVING.
SO LET’S NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT IT.
LET’S LIVE IT.
HE HAS A NEW DVD OUT OF THEIR
LOVE STORY.
LOVE STORY. THERE IS MORE OF OUR
CONVERSATION ON TODAY.COM.
I WAS INSPIRED.
>> THAT’S A BEAUTIFUL STORY.