#rememberingdooley

#RememberingDooley
#RememberingDooley

It’s Dooley Day, edition number 17. It’s been 17 years since my amazing little brother Dooley went home to be with Jesus. I can’t believe it!

I try to post about him every year to keep his legacy alive because he was simply outstanding. In height, in personality, in artistic ability, in musical ability, in humor, and in so many other areas. Just outstanding!

If you’re new around here, my little brother Ryan (we called him Dooley) was in a car accident on October 17, 2002, and went home on October 18th. (I talked about how this experience changed me at a women’s conference last year, which you can read about here if you have a few minutes!) I want to keep his story alive because (1) so many details and so much of the aftermath of his story point to Jesus and, (2) I remember my daddy saying his biggest fear would be that people would one day forget Dooley. Well, I’m here to not let you forget!! ha! He’s my brother, and for every year that I’m around, I’m going to make sure you remember him 🙂 As one of my old college professors, Hank Flick, would say, “Not on my watch!”

This year I want to do something a little different.

There is a Dooley story that had me laughing SO HARD a couple of days ago, so I thought, this is the perfect little anecdote to share, and it’s an easy way to get people involved in remembering Dooley.

Rewind to Spring Break either 2000 or 2001– I can’t exactly remember — our Broadmoor youth group was going on a ski trip for the week of Spring Break. Easter candy was already out in the stores, so I’d purchased a big bag of Reese’s eggs to take on the plane as a snack. Either Dooley was sitting right behind me, or I was sitting right behind him, so I was sharing my Reese’s eggs with him on the plane. By the time we’d made it from Jackson to Denver, together we had crushed the bag. Every egg was safely in a Miller belly.

Well, a few hours later… I cannot even believe I’m about to type this. My grandmother would absolutely die hearing me say this… But I think it kind of makes the story… A few hours later, Dooley and I had the worst gas. It was so bad!!! We kept silently farting and absolutely knocking out the people around us, but we weren’t about to fess up that it was us. Soooo until just this moment, that has always been something that only he and I knew!!

I’m laughing so hard typing this!! Hello, I’m Laurel, and I’m super immature when it comes to bathroom humor. Whatever… Dooley would think it was funny! 🙂

Anyway!!!! What I wanted to get you in on if you’re up for it, is going out today and enjoying a Reese’s product of some sort in memory of Dools! (Just remember MODERATION…. Please, for the sake of everyone around you, do not go overboard.) There are so many Reese’s options!! (Sadly Reese’s eggs are only out at Easter. Reese’s pieces are the closest thing I guess.) If you think about it and want to post your Reese’s on social media and use the hashtag #RememberingDooley, I think it could be a fun and different and new way of making sure people don’t forget about that oh-so-special Ryan Patrick Miller 🙂

Again, remember moderation!

#RememberingDooley
#RememberingDooley

Please don’t feel like you have to post about it, but if you do, please use the hashtag! I’d love to see 🙂 And who doesn’t need a great excuse to have a Reese’s?!

As info, I’m not eating ALL of these Reese’s things today. I plan to stash some and share some!

You can peek at old Dooley Day posts here if you want to. There are some cute photos of him buried in all these old posts!

Thank you for dropping in today. Thanks for taking a sec to read about my brother even if you didn’t know him. I’m thankful for the opportunity to get you #RememberingDooley! 🙂 And thanks for excusing my bathroom humor.

XOXO!

8 Comments

  1. DE ANNE HEGI October 18, 2019 / 8:10 am

    Laurel, loved your story and loved your brother. Seeing “Ryan Patrick Miller” made me hear a voice I will never forget. One day he was in my car and for some reason we had a tape recorder and everyone was taping themselves talking. Dooley gets the tape recorder and says, “My name is Rryyyyyyan. Patrick. Milllllllllllleeeerrr!” I can still hear his voice and the emphasis on each word. He was just being funny and I love that we played that tape so much that I will never forget his voice or him telling me his name. He was so great and I’m so thankful for this vapor of life that leads up to infinity of eternity together in heaven.
    #RememberingDooley

    Love y’all so very much,
    d

    • DE ANNE HEGI October 18, 2019 / 8:12 am

      Laurel, loved your story and loved your brother. Seeing “Ryan Patrick Miller” made me hear a voice I will never forget. One day he was in my car and for some reason we had a tape recorder and everyone was taping themselves talking. Dooley gets the tape recorder and says, “My name is Rryyyyyyan. Patrick. Milllllllllllleeeerrr!” I can still hear his voice and the emphasis on each word. He was just being funny and I love that we played that tape so much that I will never forget his voice or him telling me his name. He was so great and I’m so thankful for this vapor of life that leads up to infinity of eternity together in heaven.
      #RememberingDooley

      Love y’all so very much,
      d

      • Mary October 27, 2019 / 11:59 am

        Sweet DeAnne❣️
        You are too dear for words. Thanks for sharing that memory. What fun to have a new something to chuckle over. Dooley was a champ for crackin’ us up. Love to you & your adorable growing family XOXOXO

  2. Mary October 18, 2019 / 10:20 am

    LAUREL, THANKS FOR THE “LAUGHING GAS” 💨💨
    🏃🏼‍♀️ 🏃🏻

  3. Debbie C October 18, 2019 / 12:30 pm

    Nothing better than happy memories..especially Reese’s gas! Thankful I got to know Dooley and his big sister and brother! Happy Dooley Day!

  4. Della W. Turner October 18, 2019 / 3:16 pm

    I love this story about the Reese’s, and the smile that I’m sure it brings to your face when you think of Dooley. I will be sure to enjoy a Reese product sometime this weekend in honor of Dooley! Thanks, Laurel! Happy Dooley Day!

  5. Jenni October 18, 2022 / 6:27 am

    Sweet Laurel,
    I remember that day and it does not seem 20 years ago. You know well my affinity for sweets and I happen to have a Reese’s product in my freezer. Today, it will be polished off in memory of Dooley and in honor of you! Big HUG, Jenni

    • Laurel at THE HIVE October 25, 2022 / 9:56 am

      I hope your Reese’s product was delicious! 🙂 Love you and MISS YOU!!!!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *