Heartfelt Testimonials From Dear Friends
after reading my grief and healing memoir
He Just Got There First . . .
'Rory’s book reflects who she is—courageous, determined, and deeply loving. She writes with honesty, speaking her truth in a way that resonates and inspires. She truly is her own individual accompanied with a gentle spirit.'
'We humans will all experience the pain of loss at some point in our lives. Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote that to have loved and lost should be viewed as a gift. Rory shares her gift in He Just Got There First, with a story of great love and deep loss, written through her tears and her fears of facing life without her soulmate beside her-one step at a time, one day at a time. She chronicles her journey of love and grief, with a quiet strength that I have seen her exhibit in times of her deepest sorrow when she thinks no one is looking (though some would laugh at the word "quiet" used in describing her; she has a wicked sense of humor as a reader will sense in this book), and, always, always, her faith. She never wavered in her faith even in her darkest days. My sweet friend still has those days of despair, but God always shows his love for her everyday and reminders of her sweet Roy's love will appear to her when least expected. Please take the time to read and enjoy Rory's story that she has graciously shared with us. I love you, dear one.'
'As my friend walked through the unimaginable loss of her husband of 50 years, she chose honesty over platitudes and love over despair. This book is not just about the grief - it is about enduring devotion, sacred memories, and learning how to breathe again when life is forever changed. Reading her words feels like sitting with a trusted friend who understands pain but also believes in hope. Her story will comfort anyone who has loved deeply and lost profoundly.'
'Rory, I just finished your book. I appreciated the literary foreshadowing earlier in the manuscript of possibly (maybe? Who knows?) meeting a significant someone, and the clever way at the end sharing about your new client and gentleman friend. It was a sobering and emotional wrap-up to your book about your fulfilled life of frolics, adventure, and love with Roy. It was also a statement of your resolve and resilience to keep going forward. Very well done! What I noticed throughout the book was that you never made yourself into a victim. You were an intentional woman regardless the challenges. Thanks so much for letting me read it.'
'My name is Shelly, and my friend Rory’s story is one I understand in a very personal way. When my own husband passed away 14 years ago, the world became unfamiliar overnight. There is a kind of pain, emptiness, loneliness, desperation and grief that cannot be fully explained — only felt. A few years ago I told her, “You have to grieve in your own way, in your own time. There isn’t a timeline to follow. Give yourself the grace to grieve your own way.” Watching her do just that has been one of the most beautiful and courageous things I’ve ever witnessed. This book is not just filled with memories — it’s filled with life. The stories she shares are funny, wild, tender, and uniquely hers. And in telling them, she found her way forward. This book is Rory’s healing — page by page, story by story, breath by breath. For anyone who has ever loved deeply and lost the person who made life make sense, you will find pieces of yourself in these pages. You will also find hope — not the loud kind, but the quiet kind that whispers, “Keep going. You’re not alone.” Rory didn’t just survive her loss — she learned how to live alongside it. I am so proud of her for telling her truth, for honoring her love, and for showing others that healing is not about forgetting — it’s about remembering with love.'
My prayer is that this book can help you navigate your waves, too . . .
Because the dichotomy is, in this most difficult chapter of my life, I continue to be blessed beyond measure.
Roy just got to Heaven first.