It's with great sadness that we share the news, that 8-year-old Ava Beck of Pecatonica has received her angel wings. Her mother's message, amidst difficult times, is a note we all need to read.

It is never easy to write or read about the loss of a child. Regardless of circumstance, the feeling is unimaginable and only assumably a nightmare. And, despite everything Ava's family has gone through (and will continue to go through) her mother Nikki shared a message on Facebook that we all need to read. It will instantly put things into perspective.

After sharing details of intimate details of the final moments of Ava's short life, Nikki proved her own bravery and strength in just two sentences.

Our daughter is at peace and pain free. This makes me happy, knowing she’s in heaven smiling down, though I’m sure the emotions will come.

Those two sentences are enough to make someone sit back and think about what is going on in their own life. It did for me. "Do I really need to be worrying about that?" "Should I really be mad about this?" All questions that may have a similar answer, which is usually "probably not." Count your blessings because somebody somewhere is going through much worse. And, if you're able, times like these are especially important for being there. Define "being there" any way you want, just do it. If you're a stranger to Ava's family you can still be there for them in this tremendously difficult time.

  • You can buy The Ava & Alexia Gloss as a way to support Ava's family and honor the sisters' relationship. (All profits go to her family.)
  • You can leave condolences and words of encouragement on Ava's Facebook page, Ava's Tribe.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Ava's family, friends, and community. We share tears right alongside you.


JB Love is ½ of  Q98.5's Lil Zim & JB In The Morning, weekday mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook.

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