A Place to Begin Again
When we first arrived at Wade’s House, I didn’t know what I was hoping for. Peace? Distraction? Relief? After losing our daughter, every place we went felt too loud, too cheerful, or too hollow.
But Wade’s House felt different from the moment we opened the door. The sound of waves outside. The soft color palette. The handmade quilt on the bed. Someone had thought about us — about people like us — and built a space we didn’t know we needed.
It wasn’t just a house. It was an invitation to breathe again.
What Helped Most
Wade’s House gave us permission to stop pretending we were okay. It asked nothing from us, but gave us everything: calm, privacy, beauty, and a sense of care stitched into every detail.
Here’s what made the deepest impression:
- The memorial library, where we found Wade’s own words — underlined, illustrated, honest and full of humor.
- The bedroom view, where I watched a whale breach for the first time. It felt like a message I didn’t know I was waiting for.
- The fully stocked kitchen, where we made her favorite blueberry pancakes — and smiled through tears.
- The Pony Up! sculptures scattered through the home, each one hand-painted, reminding us that grief can make space for beauty.
“Grief doesn’t go away here. But something opens. You start to remember who you were before the pain.”
— A guest reflection from the memorial album
A Gentle Return to the World
Before we left, we added a photo of our daughter to the Stepping Stones memorial album. We wrote a message. We lingered longer than we planned. And we took home one of the smaller ponies — ocean blue, like her eyes.
Something changed in us during that stay. We didn’t leave healed, but we left open. Open to remembering. To sharing. To feeling again.
Why I’m Writing This
I want other families to know that this place exists. That it’s quiet, thoughtful, and built by people who truly understand what this kind of loss does to you. It doesn’t fix anything — but it gently holds space for your sorrow, your silence, your stories.
It’s more than a house. It’s Wade’s legacy. And now, in a small way, it’s ours too.
Wade’s House continues to offer families a space for rest, remembrance, and quiet renewal — a place where healing begins, one moment at a time.
Visit Wade’s House →
