I struggled with what to post here, but I couldn’t let Grace go without some acknowledgment, and a “mention” in my Sunday Post amidst giveaway announcements and silly news about my landscaping didn’t feel right.
In case you don’t already know, we lost a vibrant member of our community on Wednesday. Grace from Rebel Mommy Book Blog lost her fight with cancer. What makes this even sadder is that, as her blog title declares, she leaves behind three little ones who will now have to grow up without her. Her final tweet and post on Instagram on Wednesday were both a picture of her in the hospital with her beautiful family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Grace was a huge presence in the book blogosphere, and many of us knew her well, even if we’d never met her in person. I checked, and she’d left me 16 PAGES of comments over the last four years! And I know that I’m no anomaly: She was incredibly active in the book blogging community, and so many of us were touched by her.
Grace was a joyful and encouraging presence, and even when she went through cancer treatment (both times), she stayed engaged with us on Twitter. She obviously valued the strength and support she gained through this community. I’m thankful to be a part of a group that will gather behind one of our own when they’re in need!
Grace, thank you for your presence in our lives. You will be sorely missed.
UPDATE: Lauren @ Bookmark Lit has been in contact with a member of Grace’s family and asked them how we can support them right now. You can read the tweet thread for yourself, but they said that it would be wonderful if we could compile messages and sentiments to share with them.
Lauren set up a Kudoboard so we could share our thoughts with the family. Please send some words of encouragement so they know how much she was loved by her fellow bloggers!
Also, they said that we could donate in Grace’s name to METAvivor, an organization close to her heart that supports grants for breast cancer research. Lauren @ Shooting Stars Mag has also changed her latest Leave a Mark auction of a signed copy of One of Us Is Lying so that the winning amount will be donated to METAvivor in Grace’s name.
I’m glad that one of the last things Grace got to do was meet Rainbow Rowell at Book Expo. She was so excited!
Grace is inspirational and thank you, Nicole, for this post. This book community is the best and I’m blessed to have been accepted into it and be able to support others too. I was overwhelmed by the love poured out by Grace’s book friends, although it never surprised me as this community is a generous, supportive group.
I agree that our community is incredible. Grace’s loss has been a shock and a big blow to all of us. I know we won’t forget her.
I was so heartbroken to see this news this morning. Grace was one of my very favorite bloggers. She always made time to chat with everyone. She was a beautiful soul. It’s not fair that her family didn’t have more time with her. Thank you for the tribute. She will be missed.
So many of us were shocked by the news. I’m glad that we got to be a part of her life!
Nicole, this is beautiful. It’s incredibly devastating, but I’m glad you found a way to put down into words how we all feel about Grace. Because I truly have no doubt that you speak for all of us, as Grace was so kind and caring that she’s touched all our lives in the best possible way. I feel so blessed to have known her, and I hope that her family will eventually be able to find some peace in knowing how many lives she touched. They’ll be in my thoughts and prayers always, their pain must be unimaginable. She’s such an amazing spirit, and we’re going to miss her so much. Thank you for posting this, Nicole.
Yes, I hope that someday it’s a comfort to her family to know that she touched so many people’s lives and has people around the world who cared about her.
I didn’t know her personally (odd, I know! but it seems like there’s never time enough to get to know everyone in the book blogging community), but I’ve seen her comments on Karen’s blog For What It’s Worth, and I remember thinking “What a great nickname”. I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to meet her, if virtually – I’m sure she was an amazing person. Much love to her family and everyone who knew her and is missing her now!
I know that there are so many bloggers out there who I haven’t had a chance to connect with. The book blogosphere seems so huge sometimes. But it’s also such a warm and supportive community, and I love being a part of it. Grace was such a positive presence and we’ll all miss her!
It’s always incredibly sad when we lose a person in our community. That was a very nice tribute to her.
Yes, it’s incredibly sad and she’ll be missed!
What a wonderful tribute <3 She was such a positive and bright light in the community. She will certainly be missed.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s hard to believe she’s gone.
I was heartbroken when I read the news on Twitter this morning. This is a beautiful tribute. Grace was one of the first book bloggers I really interacted with and she will be missed by everyone in this community.
I remember on Grace’s first blogoversary I was so surprised because it felt like she’d been around for so much longer. She was such an active and vibrant member of the community, and her loss definitely leaves a hole that can’t be filled.
Nicole, this is a beautiful tribute to Grace. Grace was such a wonderful person and I am so honored to have had the opportunity to know her through the blogging community. She was always so supportive of everyone. I found out this morning and just sat here and cried like a baby. I really felt like she was my friend and I valued every interaction we had. I cannot imagine what her husband and babies are going through. I am heartbroken.
I cried a whole lot too, Carole. In fact, I still keep tearing up every time I think about it. It was such a shocking loss. Like you said, it’s almost impossible to imagine how her family must be feeling right now. My heart breaks for them.
Grace was one of the first people to follow my blog, and she always made time to read my posts and comment on them. She was one of the very first to make me feel welcome in the book community, and my only regret is that I didn’t get to meet the wonderful woman who became such a comfort and a good friend.
I didn’t just enjoy her blog and her thoughts on books; I enjoyed Grace. She was kind, warm, and one of the best people I’ve come across.
Everyone who knew Grace are in my thoughts and prayers, especially her beloved children.
So many of us feel this way. I feel like almost everyone knew Grace, and everyone who knew her loved her!
Well said, Nicole. This is beautiful, and she was a beautiful person. I am happy I had the privilege of getting to know her.
As were we all.
What a sweet post. She will definitely be missed. I love how you included her picture with Rainbow Rowell. I’m glad she was able to meet her.
I remember how excited she was about that and how she talked about getting out there and doing new things because she saw how precious life is. I’m so glad that she got to have those experiences!
Beautifully written, Nicole. I was so devastated to hear about Grace’s passing. She was always such a positive, wonderful person.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
I know we’ll all truly miss her. Thanks for setting up the auction in her honor. I just went and bid, and I added a note to this post about it as well.
Awww Nicole this is so beautiful. It’s so sad to lose such a lovely lady and especially her children!! It’s neat that she got to hit some of her bucket list even in small things like meeting Rainbow Rowell. ❤️
I’m really glad that she got to go to Book Expo because I know it’s something she always wanted to do!
This was lovely Nicole! I didn’t know her well but we’d exchange comments often enough that I felt it when I found out she’d passed. My heart utterly breaks for her husband and children. I keep seeing that final insta post/tweet and wanting to scream at how unfair the world is.
I know, it’s so sad to see a mother taken from her children so young.
Grace’s blog was one of the first I followed, and she was one of my blog’s first followers. She also left pages of comments on my blog. (And I left pages of comments on hers). I feel so bad for her kids. She seemed like a very dedicated mom.
I remember when Grace first started blogging, I would see her name EVERYWHERE and it always amazed me how she engaged with so many people. We didn’t even read the same types of books for the most part (though she introduced me to some gems), but she still felt like a constant presence on my blog via Sunday Posts and discussions. It’s hard to believe she’s gone! And, yes, she was obviously very dedicated to her kids. I’m heartbroken for them.
[…] Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction posts in memory of Grace @ Rebel Mommy Book Blog. […]
Thank you for posting this lovely tribute, Nicole. My heart broke for Grace’s family, especially her children, when I heard the news. She really was a lovely person, and as Sam mentioned above, I feel so privileged to have gotten to know her over the past few years.
I do too. I’m so glad she was a part of our community!
Beautiful words. Thank you for sharing them, though it was obviously not easy. I followed Grace on Instagram and was not online over the past few days and just read about her death while reading another blog post. Very sad news.
I think the news was a shock to many of us. It was hard to believe how quickly her health deteriorated. So very sad!
Thank you for making this post. You’ve said everything I wish I’d been able to find the words to say. I can’t believe she’s gone and she will definitely be very missed in the community.
It’s hard to even come up with words in this situation, but I did want to honor Grace in some way.
Well said, Nicole. I was devastated to hear this news, and I still can’t stop thinking about it. Grace was a sweet, joyful presence in the book blogging world, and she’ll be missed. My heart hurts just thinking about her family.
Her presence will most definitely be missed!
Thank you for this beautiful tribute! I was redirected here from another blog, and I think you perfectly sum up the way many in the community are feeling about this tragic loss.
I’m glad that you found your way here. Grace was a wonderful part of our community, and she deserves to be remembered well.
You’ve got me crying all over again Nicole! This was a beautiful post. The only positive I see in all of this is that Grace was able to live her best life during the months the cancer was in remission. I loved that she packed up her fears and did what she wanted, like attend BEA for the first time.
We’re all going to miss her.
I agree that it was wonderful that Grace was able to fulfill her dream of going to BEA—she wasn’t taking life for granted!
Thank you for posting this beautiful tribute to Grace. She was one of the first book bloggers to follow me when I first started my blog. She was a warm, sweet, and active member of this community. I had the pleasure of meeting her for the first time at Book Expo this year. She was just so happy to be there are so hopeful that her awful ordeal was over. Her light shone just as brighly in person as you’d expect from knowing her online. I can’t believe only 8 or so weeks have passed. I was devastated to hear that she’d passed away and will be praying for her family.
I couldn’t believe how quickly her illness progressed either. She seemed so vibrant during that trip to BEA (online at least—I wish I had been there to meet her in person). I’m incredibly sad for her family.
My condolences. What a tragedy.
Yes, it’s a big loss for our community.
Thank you for posting this tribute. Grace was always so optimistic and positive. I hadn’t seen her last blog post, so I didn’t realize the cancer was winning. Her last Instagram post came as a surprise, and the news of her death as a shock. My heart goes out to her children and husband.
It seemed like it went so fast this time—even though I had seen that she was sick again, it was still a huge shock to lose her!
I was feeling so hopeful when she posted the picture of her family on Wednesday. She was a fighter. I was devastated to learn she passed. Her family will be in my prayers and heart. She was so kind.
Yes, when I saw that picture I was so encouraged that her health was improving, so it was really shocking and devastating when I heard the news.
Aww Nicole, this was beautifully written! I never knew Grace all too well despite seeing her posts and presence throughout the blogosphere; it’s sad to hear she lost her fight to cancer. Sending good vibes to her family.
It’s sad to have lost such a big presence in our community.
So wonderful that you posted this Nicole. I was so sad when I saw you comment on Instagram. Her picture with her family was something. She kept her positive attitude and beautiful smile up to the end, I’m sure because of her beautiful family. She was definitely, as you well said it, a very active and important member of our community. She will forever be remembered!
I couldn’t believe that Grace left us, especially so soon after she got sick again. She will definitely be remembered!
I was thinking a lot this weekend about her going to BEA. She was cancer free and putting herself first and doing something she’s always wanted to do. She was sooo nervous but had so much fun. I’m so glad she got to but wish that she was still here to do a million more things.
Lovely tribute Nicole.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
So very true. I’m glad she got that experience but sad that she won’t have many more like it.
This was such a beautiful post, Nicole. Truly. It’s completely devastating that she passed away so young. I am keeping her family and friends, and this community, in my thoughts. Her loss will be felt greatly for a time.
So very true. She will be missed!
I only knew Grace in the sense that I had seen her around while blogging, but I was touched by this post nonetheless. I’m so sorry to hear of her passing and wish all the best for her family.
I was glad to be able to honor her memory.
Thanks for sharing. so sad
Very sad, indeed.
Grace was one of my favorite bloggers. She always found time to comment on my posts and I loved talking about TV with her as we watched many of the same shows.
I loved seeing her pictures from BEA – I couldn’t come this year as one of my kids was graduating that week but she and I commiserated online over how we both made elaborate BEA spreadsheets and then lost them as soon as we got to the Javits.
I am absolutely heartbroken for her family – I know they meant everything to her. They deserved more time with her and so did all of us. The world has lost a truly wonderful and special person.
I know she was so very excited to be able to go to BEA this year, and I’m glad that she got to experience that!
May she rest in peace and will be thinking of the family <3 I appreciate you sharing this post, especially as it must've been hard to write and compose.
It was definitely hard to write, but I didn’t want to let her loss pass by with just a tiny mention—she deserves more than that!