Walker & Laney Hayes: The Best Love Song. Blessing Others. Grieving the Loss of a Child. Practicing Gratitude. (#39)

Singer/song-writer, Walker Hayes (who wrote our theme song! + the #PIMPINJOY song 'Joy Like Judy') and his wife Laney join Amy for all 4 things this episode. You might laugh. You might cry. The parents of 6 kids let us in on a lot and we are so thankful that they took the time to share it all. FIRST THING: Amy is obsessed with Walker's song “Don’t Let Her”, which was written about Laney. Every girl would love for a guy to write her a song like this. Its genius. Sorta sad. But genius. And very sweet. A must listen!!! SECOND THING: Blessing others is fun. Walker & Laney have been on the receiving end, but now they are on the giving ned. They are paying it forward with their "Be a Craig Fund" that was inspired by their friend (named Craig) that blessed them with a van for their big family at a time when they were financially strapped and they didn't have a car with enough seatbelts for everyone. "Be a Craig Fund" now allows them to pass the blessing of a new car on to other people that need a little help. THIRD THING: Walker & Laney open up about the heartbreaking journey of losing their daughter Oakleigh during birth. They share about how they are getting through the grief process in hopes that it can be helpful to others who may be going through something similar. FOURTH THING: “Life ain’t always pretty, but hey its pretty beautiful thing!” Through the good and the bad...Walker & Laney practice gratitude...so they each share 4 things they are thankful for.

Be sure to check out WalkerHayes.com for his music, more information on the Be A Craig Fund, as well as the awesome merch mentioned in this episode. 

(Episode 64)

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Okay, cast up little Food for you, so life. Oh
it's pretty, but it's pretty beautiful than laughs, a little

(00:23):
mouth tightening up said he you're kicking with four with
Amy Brown. Laney's forty, by the way, looking smoking hot
for forty. Yeah she is. Well, what Walker doesn't know
is that I've started recording. But that's awesome. But he's

(00:47):
brought it up. Lany is so fine, she's so fine.
She's a crazy Yeah. So, um, I've got Walker Hayes
and Laney Hayes on the podcast today. So they are
going to do all all four things with us, which
is awesome. We're going to cover, um, just some of
Walker's music, which is amazing. I feel like he is

(01:09):
a talented songwriter, like so talented. He will forever have
a special place in my heart. Well, for one, you
may recognize his voice because he does the theme song
to this podcast. Um, in case you don't know, but
this is Walker Walker. Do you do you remember singing this?
I don't. I don't put your headphones on the Little Food.

(01:40):
Oh that's pretty bad. It's pretty beautiful. Yeah. So I
had sent Walker when I asked him because Walker and
I developed a relationship because Walker is also the guy
that gave my mom a theme song. Like my mom
was battling cancer, we would talk about her on the
Bobby Bones Show. From that, the Pimp and Away movement
was born. And you know, then next thing you know,

(02:04):
Walker busts out with this song titled Joy like Judy
and then walk Away. You don't know is that song? Well,
I probably have told you before, so you may know,
but I'm just now I'm going to tell everybody, and
I'm sure I've told everybody before, but I'll say it again,
is that this song is such a gift, like to
me and my sister, my family and friends and um

(02:26):
my mom's grandkids, my kids who didn't get to know
her because you sent us this song. Like I feel
like we at least recorded the video in March of
two thousand fourteen. Not sure when you sent the song,
but once my mom had a theme song Joey like Judy,
I was like, whoa, we gotta mom, you need to
do a music video. And she was so hesitant. It

(02:47):
wasn't like being on videos and not her thing, but
she rolled with it and she was such a good sport.
And now you know, y'all can watch it it's a
it's on YouTube, but we'll put it at Radio amy
dot com if you want to check get out. But
this is my first connection to Walker and why he
and his family will forever be special to me, because like,

(03:07):
this is a video that will forever be there for
my family to watch, and this is Walker singing about
my mom choosing Joy, and it's it's definitely something if
you listen to the podcast and you don't know much
about Pimp and Joy, that I encourage you to go
check out because I don't know if the video is

(03:30):
like just super special to me because it's mine, but
I hope that you'll be touched by it too, because
and that's why another reason why I'll be forever grateful
for Walker. But he has so many other amazing songs,
and you know, Bobby has always praised your songwriting skills
and is a big fan of you, and we're such
a huge fan of Laney too, And y'all just have

(03:52):
an amazing life with some stories, the ups and the downs,
and y'all are willing to be vulnerable and share, and
that's we're all about here on this podcast. So I
think we're going to cover some of those some of
those ups in the downs. So I appreciate y'all coming
in to do it. Thanks for having Yeah, we count

(04:16):
a tune really fast? Is that what you do? Is
that things? I don't know? I think. So that goes
back to seventeen and y'all do have six kids, so
that probably happens with them to a little bit. Do
you feel like they keep you pretty young kids? Oh? Yeah, absolutely,

(04:37):
because y'all do not look like you have six kids.
I gotta tell y'all if y'all don't know to what
Walker and Landy look like, they're like Nashville's most beautiful people, right,
And then lady you said Walker has been when did
you start your working out journey? Walker? I started? So
I quit drinking four years ago and that's I dabbled,
and then I became you know, it becomes a little

(04:59):
bit of a session um and so yeah, so that's
what kind of when I started caring. I guess you
visiting the gym frequently because Laney, I don't know you
can tell me from but I mean, he like was
not in bad shape, but he went from like Walker, Hey,
I work out, I don't know, like Men's Health magazine
covers right, He's always been in great shape, and there
were seasons them tell them, let's not getep, No, we

(05:26):
can go deeper. You're like, no, really, no, just kidding, um,
But yeah, it became his thing on the road for sure.
He always either ran or worked out. He always was
in good shape, but definitely now it turned it up
and ut, yeah, it's up and nuts in the house. Okay,
he's crazy. Sorry, I mean, you can't take him anywhere.
It's fine, We'll go ahead and get in tell him

(05:47):
your favorite parts. But me, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Take
him off. Okay, but yeah, and so far, I'll always
be like to my arm with Jack, she's I mean,
m I'm terrible affirmation because he always looks the same
to me. So I'm like, I don't know, you look

(06:08):
the same as you did years ago, and he's like, no,
that's not the right answer. Well, like, I don't see
the fluctuations, old Walker. I know that you're used to
kind of being out there and sharing a lot. I mean,
and you're an artist, musician, a songwriter. You're out there
that Laney, thank you for being here with us, and
I know that y'all are both going to open up

(06:28):
about some hard stuff and um, again we'll talk about
kind of the highs and lows of life and what
we like to be here at the podcast is relatable
and touch somebody. And I know that your story about
Oakley and um losing her and then even like Walker
you having to deal with that and almost losing Laney,

(06:49):
I feel like, um, that's something we're going to get
into as well, which I hope will you know, be
comforting somebody and we're all we'll experience loss at some level,
but you know that's definitely another level to me, like
I can't even imagine, but even I've appreciated you being
open and talking about it. So, um, that said, we'll

(07:09):
just and then too, I want to get at the end.
Sometimes what we do with guests is find out things
that you're grateful for. And guess how many things we
do four? So you know, while we're recording, be thinking
of the four things that you're grateful for. They can
be serious or fun or whatever. And then we'll kind
of close with that. But with that said, Walker, do

(07:31):
you want to are you gonna sing us to the
So I just sent Walker the four things, um, the
four Things joy Seeker, which that's what that is. Called
the be Kind chose Joy laugh a lot cake. It's
something we had on a shirt and a toe and
we called it the Joy Seeker and I was like, hey,

(07:51):
would you mind doing my theme song? And You're like,
no problem. And then you were like over in the
UK or something, walking the streets of London and just
spitting out rhymes. I was so excited to do it
for you, but I didn't have any gear there to
like lay it down. And so yeah, one day I
remember you being like, well, I need it by a

(08:12):
certain date and I was like, oh crap, and uh so, yeah,
I just kind of wrote it. I texted it to
mysel That's kind of how I writes stuff. It's just
text myself. But yeah, I remember a bit walking around
and I was like, I gotta find an alley where
I can sit and singing like castle roll thing and
like and so send you a voice memo and I
remember being glad when I sent you that, and you

(08:33):
were like, yeah, that's the that's great. It's so perfect.
Like you had the little like the cast role and
how you tied in, like yeah, we share recipes on
here because I kind of told you I think we're
gonna be like it'll be all the things like recipes
and serious stuff and so you your brain came up
with castle roll things, food, food for your soul things,
so that tight end. It's not just about like literal food,

(08:56):
but food for the soul. He is wrote it all.
I just it's amusing. But yeah, the yeah, but my
favorite lines eat cake, I mean that's me. That's the jam.
Like you need a hat that says just eat cake.
Good idea. Yeah, okay, coming soon. Yeah to walk her

(09:17):
hay com ok yeah, I don't worry other people do it.
It's fine. First, Okay, so we're gonna go ahead and
start with the romantic song because I feel like this
song Walker, It's it's so I mean, it's it's probably

(09:38):
everything every woman want to hear. And I know Laney
that you vet a lot of his songs for him,
And do you get tired of doing that? Or is
it like, do I get tired of doing that? I'm
gonna be honest in this interview, don't lie. Yes, for sure,
I get I wish I was this like perfect wife
who was like, oh, bring me all your song lines.

(10:00):
I love to hear him. But no, that's not really
the reality at our house. Um, when he comes home
with a song idea, like the day he steps off
the bus and he's home for a couple of days,
were like, you have a new song idea right now, Like,
couldn't that have just waited a couple of days until
you go back on the road, because he gets in
song land and it's hard to bring him back. Like

(10:21):
anybody in the creative world kind of knows that you
you drift off and even though you're there, you're not
really there. You're kind of living in your head and
creative land. So um, yeah, oftentimes we go, hey, come
come back to us, like out of creative world. But
but when you sent me the lyric to this song,
I definitely it was different. It was different from the others. Okay,

(10:42):
And so for people that haven't heard it, I'm gonna
play a little clip here. We can only listen to
a little bit of it, or then we might get
sued by Walker. So because that's podcast, so let's look,
we can listen quietly for a little bit and then
we may have to start to talk over it. So
here is a little bit of don't let her guess money.

(11:02):
It's a little coffee later. She wants home is a
fast don't you home if you haven't. She loves babies, paste, glitters,
you better shame for you kids. And she never misses me.

(11:25):
Please don't let her. Okay, So what people are probably like, Okay,
those are cute lyrics, but I don't really get it.
But it's the concept behind it that makes the song
so fabulous. So explain the concept. Yes, it's a million
different things into one. Um, I was, I was. Actually

(11:46):
I wrote this song the same week I wrote your
theme song. Crazy like in one week. I had the
most fun creative week. And uh, I was missing Laney.
And you know this was last year, so I was
still you know, we're fresh sho off the loss of Oakley,
almost losing Laney, which you know, I'm I'm a I
am Laney Wood would agree. I'm the emotional person of

(12:10):
the family and I have trouble. I don't know what
you call it, just digesting emotions like it takes me.
I'm a slow rebound from any emotional stimulus and so, uh,
my head. You know when I'm missing Laney over there,
I was in the in the UK for two weeks.
I am myself and recharging my batteries with Laney and

(12:34):
the kids. When I'm away from them, things begin to
just go south. I'm just lost. And I just started
writing specifics about Laney um and really it was just
a love song, like look how much I know about you?
Because I think that's flattering when Laney is like, when
you smile like that, I know what means this. And
when you I know how you you know, eat with
your elbow up or you know, like little quirks. When

(12:57):
somebody knows that about you, you feel like you noticed me.
And so that's what I started to do. I was like,
you know, she loves to sleep late, and you know,
she didn't like you if you're drunk, and uh, you know,
and it just all the specifics about lady and my story.
And then I accidentally was like, and if she misses me,

(13:18):
don't And then I was like, well, what what I
want you to do if she misses me? Because honestly, selfishly,
I'm like, let her a little bit, you know, but
then then make her feel better. But I was like, no,
I want you to, you know, you know, help her
move on. And and then if then that's that's the
line that became That's what made it that almost morbid concept,

(13:40):
you know, was that question was like, hey, you know,
we're not promised tomorrow, and that actually happens to a
lot of people, and I've I've noticed that from from
the reactions of this song. So many people react and say, hey,
that is my spouse. You know, I lost them, and um,
I needed to hear that. Now I'm gonna go out

(14:00):
you know, I'm gonna get back out there into the world.
So yeah, that song is you know, obviously completely about
the Laney. I really enjoyed kind of sifting through the
specifics of her and I knew when I texted her
and and by the way, she she does not like
to always listen this to lyrics like there there. I

(14:21):
almost cringe when I'm like, hey, do listen because I
know she's like, um. So, anyway, when when I sent
her this, I knew. I was like, this is gonna
get her. I know this is about to get her
and uh and it did. So, Laney, what was your
when he sent you? Like, I mean, my one of

(14:41):
my favorite line is home is a favorite restaurant. Yeah,
so good. No, I really this one struck me differently
than a lot of the other songs. You know, sometimes
he comes home with the sweet love song and he's like,
I've wrote a song about you today, and I hear
it and I'm like, nah, that wasn't really about me,
but this one obviously was anybody, um, but this one

(15:04):
was so genuine and it was It was sweet to think, oh,
you do you just know all the little intricate details
of me and who I really am. And it's it's
fun to feel really known for who you are, good
and bad and loved anyway. And so this song did
I kind of. I think I sent him back a
tearry face and was like, oh my goodness, that's so sweet. Now.

(15:25):
On the other hand, I was thinking, I don't know
why anybody would want to listen to a song about me,
but you know, I'm thankful that it really does touch
other people. You're the inspiration. I think it's just for
me listening. I mean, yeah, I don't like all Home
is my favorite restaurant. By the way, too, I feel
you on that one. But it's just like you can
feel it's so cute. It's cute, like it's a cute

(15:49):
love song that's deep and sweet, has so many layers
to it. It's not just surfacing. It's not surfacy cute.
It's deep cute. Thank thank you. Does that don't even
make sense? Yeah? When I listened to it myself, I
find myself like, I'm confused emotionally, I'm like, am I

(16:09):
sad or happy? Or? And then I laugh, you know
at the mom line that makes me laugh. And then
I love the little section of say the Moline the
best if ice I can give you, brother, I don't
never say she's acting just like her mother, Oh yeah,
even though she does sometimes. By the way, I adore
my mom, and it sparked a whole lot of like
me calling my mom, Mom, you're going to get a

(16:31):
complex over this song. And so that was a really funny,
well other little interlude, and I and my mom was
so sweet. I was like, my kids are gonna say
that one day. That's just life, right. We all say
that I loved my mom as well. But when I
mean when she was alive, my husband definitely compared me
to her. And in fact, even since she's passed away,
it's been five years now, so it's like in that
territory where it's okay to bring her up again. He

(16:51):
will compare me, and I still get mad. I'm like,
I don't do that, but I mean I clearly do that.
But it's like little. It's just people that you're close,
and there's things about where you're like and you know,
I'll call him out like you're acting like your dad
right now, and he's like, yes, it is not one
sim that's the fun go to when you're married. That's

(17:11):
just easy emmo, you know, right, and then it's like well,
and then you're like, well, I wouldn't say that if
I was like they were in the room. You're right,
But no, fans, it doesn't mean anything bad. I might. Yeah,
are y'all close with y'all have a healthy in law?
I mean I don't think you're in laws are listening
unless they are. But I mean, yeah, we don't get

(17:32):
to see him a whole lot. You know, our life
stays busy and they don't. You know, they come to
visit some, but you know, we try to. We try
to make the round to visit everybody at least a
couple of times a year with because y'all are skilled.
I think that's pretty good. High school sweethearts, so were
your parents friends? I've no no I mean our parents
were once we we started dating in eleventh grade, they

(17:54):
kind of began to get to know each other. But
you know, I feel like maybe since our relationship was
so early and and at an immature age, and then
you combine that with my career choice, you know, I
can definitely, uh, even though at times I'm a stress

(18:15):
or not appreciate my relationship with my in laws, I
can as as a father, I can see how difficult
kind of watching us must have been, you know, me
like Lanny meeting me, obviously not being on her level,
like she was completely out of my league as she
a president of everything like beautiful, and then I was

(18:39):
kind of a I was a poor student, a little
more of a wild um card. And then you know,
a couple of months into our our engagement, I'm like, hey,
by the way, I'm not gonna sell real estate. I
want to move to Nashville, you know, be a rock star.
And then turn around she's popping out kids like tic
Tac and You're like, and you know, I'm sure her parents.

(19:02):
I can definitely see if if there's any animosity or
was ever any like, oh my god, what are y'all doing?
I I can completely understand where that would come from.
When I tell our story, a lot of times I'm like,
what were we thinking? What age were you when you
got engaged? We were married, engaged at with a long dating,

(19:26):
long relationship. I think our life has just never made sense.
And the things that we love the most in life
are all the things that we're really silly to go into.
I mean, we couldn't afford well, this dream was crazy
to chase, and then we couldn't afford kids, but we
kept having them. And all the things that we love

(19:47):
the most about our journey in life, you know, have
been the things that don't really make sense. We still
can't afford kids, and we we we want to, like
we wish someone would just drop quadruplets on our door
or you know, I mean we still struggle. That's where
everyone should go download don't let her afford and then

(20:07):
there's like, is there don't let her merch? Oh yeah,
we just came out with the don't ever watch the
Office without Me shirt because that's one of the things. Yeah.
So yeah, I mean we um, yeah, we never we
we sometimes sometimes we're like are we we selfish? Like that?
We want you know, more kids are um, and stuff,

(20:28):
and we're but we're both the babies of the family.
And so if you I think, if you walk in
our house, you realize that we're so I I feel
like we're lazy at times, but we're just there's there's
things that we're not concerned with, perhaps like the yard.
I don't care, like our yard looks like Jumanji always
and I don't care. I don't fix it until I

(20:49):
get a notice from the neighborhood and like, hey, you
gotta And I'm like, for a lot, they're they're so pretty.
Weeds are beautiful moments. But you know, we got we
got seat rot problems going on. I mean, we skateboard,
we throw the ball in the house. We we just
we live in a different on like kind of a

(21:10):
different planet, and we always have I think when you
have a bunch of kids, though, you have to learn
to let a lot of things go, a whole lot
of things go just right. I mean, I have to
you'll have six his life with kids, yeah, yeah, you
have two, or you don't enjoy your kids and you
don't enjoy what you have exactly. I used to be

(21:30):
way more uptight about or I don't know what kind
of mom, Laney, you thought you were going to be
but I thought I was gonna never give my kids
serial I promise, I get that. You're like, we're gonna
have health these smoothes for breakfast every morning, and I
get it right. With our first kid, Laney always had

(21:53):
like a mini bag of fresh carrots like some purede asparagus.
In the now we only started off avocados. It is
interesting how you change. It's just you know, it's like, wait,
why am I so stressed? I mean, I feel like
we still have aspirations and goals of like keeping them

(22:15):
healthy and getting them interested in like things that are
gonna be good for them. But at the end of
the day, like a bowl of cereal isn't gonna hurt anybody.
But I mean, I used to be pretty and even
like I was a little judge, and I take it
all back. I don't now I'm like not judge, but
I remember I would see I was like, I mean
because my mom fed me that I ate sugary. Serious,

(22:36):
I will say, we don't have we don't have lucky charms,
but jud right, I know that's what I'm saying. If
I pop out any more, I might go that route.
But now it's like even even the convenience sometimes of
I think on Saturday morning, like Stevenson got up and

(22:56):
I was like, hey, buddy, he's like, what's for breakfast?
And I was like, can you just pour yourself a
bowl of cereal? And it was amazing. I was like,
this is the life, right, yes, So I can't even
imagine this ideal like way up here in the clouds,
and then there's real life. And it doesn't always on
the subject, they'll have sugar cereal, I will say it
is has an immediate effect on our kid's attitudes. So

(23:20):
then selfishly, I'm like, uh, eat a banana, r something else,
because I just don't want to deal sometimes with the
way you're going to act after you. Right, that's a
real thing. I'm saying that struggle is real, Like with
the dietary stuff is for real. Oh yeah, I can
see it too in my kids. But then sometimes well
sometimes it's like you're saying, Lenny, like you just you

(23:41):
don't want to miss out on experiences with your kids,
Like you don't want to waste time doing the yard
if you're missing out and stuff with your kids. Like
for me, I felt like I was sort of gonna
be the same way about like ice cream are different things.
And then there's times we've got as a family and
we all get it together and it's like, if I
was trying to be uptight about it, we'd miss out
on those moments because like, kids love treats like that,
and it's true, you know, I don't want to be
like so up died. I can't even enjoy I scream

(24:03):
with my kids. But okay, so before we again back
to Don't Let Her, which you should be downloading now
on iTunes to support Walker and Laney and their six kids.
But let's listen to a few more lyrics to see
where we are. I kind of like, let me turn
it up. Not a professional here, but hold on, I'm
good and she should understand that's your favorite flower. Don't

(24:30):
ever watch the Office to shirts available favorite season, Jail,
you really love football season? Laney? Oh I do. We're
counting down August thirty one. Oh yeah, no, I know.
I see. I'm not that into football, but my husband, yeah,
he's on the countdown and I'm like, oh gosh, I'm

(24:52):
very lucky. Laney. Laney is like avid sport. Like if
if I was like, Hey, we're gonna have a sp
ustill date tonight. I have a surprise for you. If
I was like, hey, I got tickets to a Cardinals
game or Braves game, or or a band with football game,
she would lose her mind, like that's that's where she
likes to hang And and again, I'm I'm a lucky,

(25:14):
lucky dude. Um, she knows more about pro baseball than
I do. Right now, I'm I'm on the road singing.
I don't really you know, get to watch every game
and she'll be like, dude, the Red Sox lost by
this much and this is how this was crazy, and
she'll just watch it by herself. I think it's probably
been since getting since having boys and they've gotten older,
and watching them at baseball, and then just kind of

(25:36):
getting into it and then watching some games with them.
You know, it's kind of been a process. I can't
say I was always like that, but it is a
fun thing to do as a family. And we're kind
of obsessed with playing the show on the PlayStation when
Walker comes home, so every day. We've gotten a lot
of baseball knowledge that way too. But I do love football.
The first and four of our kids were all just
baby at baseball game. Oh okay, she goes with the

(26:01):
Red Sox. I usually play with the Dodgers. She's so
good every time speaking that right now, and I'm just
hearing a song. She likes Red Sox. I like Dodgers. Right,
put it on a shirt. Just kidding. But I know
we mentioned the merchant and the stuff about Walker. I

(26:21):
just want to say too, you can go to Walker
Hayes dot com right Walker, because I mean, get it,
get it, check it out. Okay, So Walker, Next, I
want to talk about the Craig Fund, which um is

(26:43):
a really amazing story. Also to you created a song
from that, it's got to be I think probably therapeutic
for you to be able to use, just like you
gave us the gift of joy like Judy and you know,
even the podcast theme song that may rest hate with
some people in some way, but this is like on
another level because you know, you met this guy Craig,

(27:07):
and he had had a major impact on your life,
which we'll get into. But then you were able to
write a song about him, and then you played him
the song, and then it's created a whole movement. And
so I'm gonna play a little bit at the Craig
song and then we'll talk about it. Because the Craig Fund,
I think is something that people, I mean, they may
want to see how they can get involved, or they

(27:29):
may just be inspired by like wow, like you can
make a difference and you can bless people bigger, small,
and Craig happened to go. I mean he went big
for y'all. And we'll get into exactly how. But here
is Craig by Walker Hayes. He sounds cool, right, not
from Sunday School, right, I still figure it out church

(27:49):
yet now he can't bloody just so obviously that is
like s U Jesus, Like he's tight with Jesus because

(28:12):
he has you know a relationship. You met him at church,
but you kind of were like, this guy's different than
maybe other people you have had experienced. So a Walker,
I'll let you take it. Yeah, yeah, Craig. Uh. There's
two massive Like there's two two large things that I
that um struck me about Craig is one, I can

(28:33):
be a very judgmental person, especially upon like a Christian community,
because a lot of times I find myself picking him
up apart because they are proclaiming one thing within acting
a certain way, and that's that's my problem, that's wrong
with me. Um. But Craig's relationship with Laney and I
was so unconditionally loving and we never felt if I'd

(28:56):
have felt preached that or even hot, I would probably
have backed off from just that type of person. But
he just loved us, and so that was definitely alluring
um quality that he possessed. And he his just relationship
with us was so um had no agenda, just just
they just wanted to They just loved us, you know.

(29:19):
And then also I was beyond inspired obviously by by
by Craig giving us a car, and and there's there's
many reasons, but one was because dude didn't ask. You know,
I find myself a lot of time. Hold on, I'm
gonna back up a little because people might be I
want to know a little bit more backs story. So
y'all started in Laney. I don't even know that I

(29:41):
know this part, but like who like found the church
all are gonna start going to? Maybe it was a
new He started going, were you going? And then Walker
started going? And then what was what was going on
in y'all life? Y'all's life around that time, and then boom,
now Craig is in the picture. So I originally met Laura,
Craig's wife through a mutual friend just kind of nice

(30:02):
to meet you, and that was it, and then saw
her later at basketball at our kids basketball games and
just started talking to her. She told us they had
just moved here. They had started a church, and I
was like, oh, yeah, yeah, great, that's nice. And then
they had invited us, and I was like, I don't know.
So I kind of got online and I was like,
what kind of church is this? What do they believe?
You know, what's going on here? And um. She struck me,

(30:23):
of course, as super kind and friendly from the very beginning,
and we certainly clicked. And then I drugged my family
there and it was in the winter, so it was
pitch black dark. It was at night. They were meeting
at night, and we were driving to the middle of
the country and I was like, guys, I don't know
what we're about to drive up to. Like I was
kind of a little bit flipping out about I don't

(30:43):
know where I'm taking my family. Um, and then we
walked into this church at night and every it was
just it was amazing. People were so kind and welcoming
and loving, and kids everywhere and running around, and it
was just the most coming exactly how you are and
we love you sort of place that we had walked into.

(31:04):
So that was kind of how it started. And then
we did develop a very close friendship with Craig and
Laura and their kids over the course of time. And
you can go from here. Well, yeah, and at that
time in our lives, Um, I was I was drinking heavily. Um,
probably when we rolled into that church. I'm sure I've
been drinking all day. Um. We had we were about

(31:25):
to have We're about to actually be pregnant with our
sixth We had just had number five, number five, and
you know, things were going downhill fast, like money wise,
job wise, I had not gotten a job yet at
Costco was what was about to And but yeah, Laura,
but I mean, honestly, Laura and Craig, Uh, they they

(31:49):
just they adopted us, is what they did. I mean,
they called us there's they opened their house to us. Uh.
He showed up, you know to my shows like uh
father figure would and sat in the back. And any
time I saw Craig in the back chatting somebody's ear off.
I knew that he was like and that dude good

(32:10):
like dude, do you have you ever heard of this
guy like he like he would always tell every night,
like after a show, he'd be like, you need to
be playing arenas, man, I can't believe you're playing right,
you know. And I and I was just like it
was so kind and and and genuine and um, and
then yeah, our relationship just continue to grow. And then

(32:32):
about three years later we had had our six kid,
um Everley, and we were down to one car. We
we I had hidden the fact that I had gotten
dropped from a label, from an endorsement deal that I had,
and because I knew that as soon as this Volkswagen
dealership found out that nothing was going on musically, that

(32:53):
they probably take that van back. And all we had
was this old Honda that Laney brought in when when
we got married, and so the van got taken away.
I remember I remember watching the truck take it and
the kids were like, that's awesome, you know how they
put it up on the truck and I was like,

(33:13):
but not at the same time, and so things got rough,
you know, and and um, you know, I acted like, oh,
I got you know, I got it figured out. And
we shared a car for about six weeks, and one
night Craig shows up unannounced. We had invited. He showed
up after Beckett's baseball game, and Um got out of

(33:36):
his own Mini van and Laura, his wife, drove in
in another car, and he had this big grin on
his face and and we argued, you know, he was
he was like, take take the car, you know, just
take it. I know, I know you know, you know
you need it. All you gotta do a sign. The

(33:57):
song is exactly what what went down. And UM, I
was like, nah, you know, And because honestly, I was
genuinely embarrassed and just proud and and didn't want to
accept help, because you know, accepting help just felt like
I was saying that I couldn't do it, you know,
on my own. And I remember my daughter. I remember

(34:17):
her saying, Dad, just take the car. And then I
remember Craig saying he he actually him and his brother
were like really good wrestlers in high school. And at
one point he said, I'm gonna wrestle you, you know,
for it, and I was like, nah, no, thanks, I
don't want to wrestle, and so I just took I
took the car and we drove it home, and uh,

(34:38):
and I immediately felt a burden just lifted. Um. I
felt the ability to focus on other things and not
be so stressed out about you know, the vehicle situation.
And obviously the kids. We're much safer riding in a
car that they all fit in. You know, we had
been driving everywhere in the Honda with Laney and I

(35:00):
and six kids, and so it was definitely illegal. Um
and you know, we we weren't proud of that, but
that's all we had. But yeah, I mean, dude showed
up and he didn't ask like I said. I mean,
he saw a need and he just I think him
and Laura probably spoke like, hey, can we do this?
And and and Craig. You know, I think a lot

(35:21):
of people feel like he just hands out cars and
can do that. I mean he I think after he
gave us the car, he went and bought himself something used,
like for five or six grand. It's not it's not
like he was like, oh, I'm going to get a
Tesla and just say y'all know that was a that
was definitely a financial push for them that was not
really something they could necessarily afford to do. People think, oh,

(35:46):
they must be wealthy and be able to just do that.
They really couldn't. They were stepping out in faith, just
seeing a need that we had and how can we help.
They're just those people, you know. It wasn't that that
was an easy thing for them. They were. They were
really just stepping out. And they have four kids, right yeah, no,
I have goose And they didn't have like a bank
account of money that they could rely on if something happened.

(36:08):
I mean, they they were really they were going out
on a limb for us. For sure. That was people,
don't They wanted to bless you and and walker to
you like he proved to you that, like, yes there
are there can be people that maybe aren't necessarily they
are walking the walk and talking the talk. And that's

(36:29):
who Craig was to you. So that's why, Well that's
what the song is all about. And then you from
that the Craig Fund. Yeah, it's unreal. I get teary
eyed every time we do something just because of how
just full circle it is. But we we have, um,
we have a Craig Fund. We sell shirts where the

(36:52):
those those shirts, every shirt that we sell, the proceeds
go to the Craig Fund, and then people just drop
huge installs like people just like when we lost Oakley,
the Craig Fund filled up. That was kind of people's
way of, um, you know, saying they love us and
and um in honor of Oakley and stuff, and and

(37:12):
what what we do is uh, we it was a
lot of logistics and hoops and loopholes to to jump
through at first, but we we gave our first car
away uh to a single mother and and again it
was just an emotion. It's such an emotional moment. And um,
We're going to continue to do those things and find
ways that the Craig Fund can be used. But it's

(37:34):
all about exactly what Craig did for me. It's what
we do is we take submissions of who you can
like nominate for the Craig thing, and people send us.
You know, we had about fifty submissions narrowed down for us,
and then me and Lanny and the kids sat down
and we went through like fifty one night and and

(37:56):
it was like, Okay, who do y'all? It's so hard,
you know, but but um, you know We'll keep all
those and and do it again and again and again.
And uh it's my favorite, you know, part of of
being um uh you know, whatever you call me, you know, singer, songwriter,
recording artists or whatever. I mean, that's to me. That's
the That was the most fulfilling moment I think I've

(38:18):
experienced in this in this job is when when we
showed up in a town and I was able to
give this lady a hug and her kids had written me,
you know, letters, and I sat in the car and
it was so clean, and and you know, from from
my experience with Craig, I remembered how nice that was
like to sit in a car that just started when

(38:40):
you turn the key, you know, and you push the
button and the window works, and you're hot and the
air makes you cold, and it's just like those things.
I think you know now, Landy and I are okay
financially right now, and and we we It's funny how
fast you take those things for granted. But I know
where those people are, and I love reading the submissions,

(39:01):
and the people that write the submissions are they're they're
Craig's and themselves like just to to sit down and
write essays about someone they love and why they need
a car or they need assistance. So it's a it's
a really really gratifying, fulfilling fun part of what I'm
able to do now. And that Craig fun stuff can

(39:22):
be found at walker His you can you be a
Craig shirt? You know those are everywhere And uh, I
didn't steal that from Amy and his team set up
the fund, but it's all the people out there that
are filling it. Yeah, we're like, oh, you're so nice.
It ain't my money. It's the fans. I mean, they're

(39:43):
they're the ones that find it's It isn't amazing, It
is an amazing feeling. And you know, Walker, you're I
know sometimes you're like, oh no, you know, people ask
you to sign like Pimp and Joy stuff like you're
one of the original Joy pimpers because of the theme song.
And it's like that's something too where I know exactly
what you're feeling like watching people rally together for a

(40:05):
cause and a reason and a movement and it's so
cool to see people react and they want to be
a part of something bigger and better, because that's what
Pimp and Joy is to me, it's what the Craig
Fund is to y'all. And it's a lot similar to
your mom. I'm sure you're you're like so to me,
it all start like that elevator thing she talked to

(40:26):
people like, that's what grabbed me. So you must have
been re listening to the Bobby Bone Show her day, okay,
So or maybe read maybe heard about you talking about
her and then read something and in something written about
you talking about her, you said she taught because she
was choosing joy and at the hospital Indie Anderson, when

(40:47):
she would be like having a rough day, like going
to get treatment, it was just like, oh, but she
knew everyone else at Indie Anderson was probably having really
rough days too, so she would make an effort to
talk to people on the elevator and be like such
a cute sweater or what. And I'm like, who talks
to people in the elevator? But she did, And I
guess you picked up on that, and then I I
don't know that we've ever talked about how you that

(41:11):
was the spark and you have to like that's I
think that's That's what I feel about Craig is like
just the way he spoke to me that first night,
and now full circle, we're just dropping cars on people
because other people were, you know, doing it. And then
that happens outside of us, like but you know, we'll
meet people in line and they'll they'll say, hey, I

(41:32):
donate it. I just gave somebody car because I heard
about your friendship. But you have to feel, you know
that the same way about that's just a cool thing.
How small to me something can be. And then a
couple of years go by and it's a freaking franchise,
like it's just happening, and it's all it was literally
because of love. It was because one person just wasn't

(41:57):
in love with themself. They were actually in love with
everybody else just for a second. And then and I
know Craig was kind of when you talked about releasing
the song and it being public, like he was like, oh,
it was uncomfortable for him because he wasn't doing it
for any sort of He didn't want praise or recognition.

(42:18):
He just wanted to again just bless y'all and so.
But but for him and because him and his wife,
they felt it was put on their heart this is
what they needed to do, and they were obedient with that,
like this is the domino effect, Like this is the
blessing of plum blessings and blessing and it's multiplying, and
y'all are keeping it going and walker with your platform,

(42:40):
like and y'all's fans together, I mean, hello, you'll do
have These are the haze of our lives, basically our
own soap opera happening. But y'all are, y'all are using
y'all are doing good with it, and I think that
that's what's important. Some people are like, I don't really
want to talk about it, but when you do, it's
not like for bragging, because you know that it's possible

(43:04):
because of everyone. And it's also to inspire. Yeah, it is.
Craig didn't even want to play the song for his kids.
That's how you know humble he is about kind of recognition.
And then on a yeah, on a funny note, one
songwriter came up to me and he was like, dude,
that same thing happened to me. Somebody gave us a car,
and I was like, she wrote a song and it

(43:27):
was originally just meant as a thank you for him,
and then it was never meant as an album addition, Yeah,
let's listen to this hook one last time in case
Craig's listening. Craig, if you're listening, this goes out, This
goes out to you. It sounds cool, right not to
kid from Sunday School, right, I still didn't figure it out. Church. Yeah, no,

(43:53):
he can't turn it down. Body, just be time. He's not,
but I wish, yeah, just be tight lyrical genius and

(44:17):
you know he will listen. Yeah, yeah, Laura awesome, Hey Laura, Hey, um,
so that's another song to wal Kri's probably be like
shut up, aby, but you can go download. Do you
want it? We got so Walker. I have tattoos that

(44:43):
are super personal to me, like I have Joy tattooed
in my mom's handwriting on my wrist, and then I
have a squaw right below that, which means hope in Creole,
and that was just for me. Like our adoption process
took five years, so obviously having lost my mom, having
joy in her handwriting on my wrist is a big deal.
And then a spa was there as an everyday reminder

(45:03):
as we were going through that process of you know, like,
don't lose hope. This is going to happen, even though
there were days where I thought, Okay, this might not happen,
but that was my reminder. And so I know that
you have Oakley's footprint on your arm, and so I know,
like even getting into this right now, I feel like

(45:24):
it is something that I know it's so personal for y'all,
and I appreciate you sharing, but even something like that
every day having to look down, I'm sure it has
sometimes like for me seeing my mom's handwriting, it's like
so special, but then sometimes it's also hard. And so
how how long has it been since she would have

(45:44):
been She would be one year and about two months now, Okay, yeah, yeah,
And um, you know you just talk about I. Um,
Laney and I kind of decided together, uh, to not
be private about this, and I think one of the

(46:04):
reasons we did is because there were a couple of
people that were not private about their own experiences that
showed up for us literally the day of like I'm
talking about, while Laney was in this in in the
operating room and I was there alone by myself. Um,
what was the girl's name? Her name was Michelle. I

(46:26):
don't remember her name. I've only seen her once in
my life. And that was that. That was that day.
And she showed up and she began to just talk
and walk me through her experience of losing a child.
And uh, had she been private or never reached out
to any organization that cared about that happening to someone else,

(46:50):
we would have been completely lost that day. I didn't know.
You know, it sounds silly, but when you when you
when you you know, Laney had us still born. She
she carried locally nine months. That morning we thought we're
going to have a home birth. We were so excited.
I was supposed to play on the CMT Awards that night,
like first TV anything. Just a lot of excitement and happiness.

(47:12):
And then and you know, she goes into labor, her
uterus ruptures. An hour and a half later, doctor walks
in to me in a room and says, hey, you
had a little girl. We tried to resus state what
we couldn't and so I'm just sitting there alone. I
don't know, like, well, obviously want to get to my wife.

(47:33):
I don't know if I'm supposed to meet. Do you
do you meet? Do you do you do you hold
a dead kid? Do you do? Like that's just a
question that's like one question in my head, like do
you do you hold her? What do you do? Like
what are we about to We're about to have a funeral,
Like do you get rid of them at that? I mean,
I'm clueless, you know what I'm saying. I had absolutely
no idea. And then in the meantime, emotionally, I'm never experienced,

(47:58):
and Laney and I are what We go through this together.
You know, I look at this tattoo still on my arm,
and it reminds me I had a babe, I had
a kid, a baby. I held a kid of mine,
a real life child in my hands. You know. They
had a foot and another foot, and and hands and

(48:19):
and and hair and a face that that that this
looked like another one of our our kids. And so yeah,
I don't really know what question I'm answering, but I
think I started off by saying we would be vocal
about it because it's not just us, you know this,
People lose people all the time and it is a shocking,
lonely emotion and people grieve differently. And I needed that

(48:43):
girl Michelle there more than anything. She walked us through
getting pictures of Oakley, and uh, she she helped us
find the cemetery where we would eventually go look and
bury our daughter next to hers um which which was
our shot ring. Just like kind of that that was
just like a I don't know what what you call it.

(49:06):
It just like we fell in tears, you know when
we when we saw louse Lucy as her name, when
we saw her name, Landy and I literally broke down
and just shambles. And then then a dog came up
and peede on a grave and we we laughed. We
just laughed. Uh, we laughed so hard and we needed

(49:28):
that dog to peel on the grave. We were like,
this is a perfect spot. We were like, it's just
like our house. There's dogs everywhere and there's you know,
Lucy here. But it's just a whirlwind. You know. We
still are in Like I said, I still look at
at at her footprint and I go, that happened to us,

(49:49):
and it happens to a lot of people. Um, and
you know I'm talking miscarriages too, you know, and it
sits and and people people just lose, people lose grown up.
Well there's something about it being the other way around.
I feel like, yeah, I lost my mom and she
probably she died too young, and she had cancer, but

(50:11):
it was sort of in the right order of like,
at some point I was probably hopefully going to say
goodbye to my mom and I will to my dad,
because that's what we consider to be the natural progression
of life. So with y'all having to experience, especially after
you've got six kids, it's like, well, we're giving birth
of this, We've already done this before, were about to

(50:32):
meet our new baby, and then it took do a
one eight and then not like that's that's a whole
different territory, even to where I'm just like, I wouldn't
know what do you do? Do you do you hold them?
And do you take Yeah, do you take pictures? So yeah,
I mean Michelle, what a blessing that that she was there.

(50:53):
And then Laney's not. You're in surgery, right, So I
mean he went through a lot of it alone because
I was in surgery for what a couple of hours
and um and at this point after that her state,
So you know, I didn't. I wasn't really honestly, it
just was such a blur. I wasn't. I realized later.

(51:14):
I guess how close you know, Laney was to dine.
I was just oblivious. Again, I'm concerned with you know,
with Oakley, because you're you're looking honest, you know, you're
looking at minutes. You're like, fifteen minutes ago there was
a heartbeat or and you're like, no, I can't you know,
it can't be done now, Like are you sure? You're sure?

(51:35):
And you're and you're just like, no, no way, this
is that, this is happening. And then I could I
could sense distress in the doctor as she continued to
visit me and say, hey, we're trying to stop the bleeding.
We're doing everything we can. And then they would vanish,
and then I'd be like, what did you just say
to me? Like does it it sound It doesn't sound
like it's over yet, you know, And so yeah, I

(51:59):
mean I was freaky. And then the the worst part
of it all was um was when Laney came to
and she was out and she was she had a
tube in her mouth so she couldn't talk to me,
and she was very very drugged and sedated, and uh,
she lost a ton of blood um during surgery and

(52:21):
so she she was coming out and awake from that,
and and she would look at me and I'd be like, ah,
she's gonna you know, she's gonna say something about it,
and she would touch her stomach and I knew she
was like trying to say, like what, you know, she
wanted me to say we had a girl or or
you know whatever, and then I would tell her, I say,

(52:43):
you know, as a girl, she didn't make it. And
then I could just see Laney's body physically just convults,
just go like I thought she's gonna have a heart
attack because she couldn't she couldn't talk or say anything.
She could just cry and I would just see tears
and tears and then she would kind of pass out,

(53:04):
and then fifteen minutes later we just do it all again,
like she would wake up like I never told her anything,
and so over and over, you know, I continually felt
I had to answer and and so you know, that
completely sucked. And then and you know, Laney, Laney and

(53:26):
I we we It's like we were some of Somebody
explained it to me, not like a therapist, but a
dear friend said, it's like you are both in the
in a car wreck at the same time, like exactly
at the same time. And then forever we'll always be
telling each other what happened in our res like it
was the same wreck but different recks. And and you know,

(53:47):
I thought, I feel so bad, you know, for for Laney,
because when she woke up, she didn't lose just a kid.
We're done, we can't have she she she woke up
and got told where you're done, You're not have you.
You can't we're not having any kid. Would be irresponsible
of you to to to to become, you know, pregnant again.

(54:11):
And that is so hard, you know for for for
me to watch Laney is just just what she was
born to do. I swear to God, that is It's
just she she was supposed. I didn't know that when
I met her, you know, when I'm in elevel eleventh grade,
I didn't know she was just she was made to
just raise and love and nurture and care, you know,

(54:33):
for kids. But that is, um, that's where she she belongs.
She she's supposed she's gifted at that, like like next
level gifted. And so you know she's been struggling with that,
um truth. You know that she's she's what we what
I don't know what do you call it? You're you're
you're on not like birth control, but she we have

(54:54):
what do he used the wall? Come on, somebody help me.
The goalie, the eternal goalie that never goes way, Yeah
she does. That's going into like birth control and what
I'm just saying, she's on that. But when she and
I laugh and we're like, I hope I still hope,
Like I still hope, you know, like I hope I
hope you get pregnant. And that's like maybe God's way

(55:17):
of saying you can't stop this train. Like it's it's
crazy how big those desires are, you know. Yeah, like
Walker said, not only did I wake up and realized
that we had lost we didn't know she was a girl.
So we found out it was a girl, you know,
we lost her. Um and then they say, you know,
they were able. They wanted to do a HYSTORICCT to me,

(55:38):
but they couldn't because of how much blood I'd already
lost and they didn't think I could survive it and
all of that. So um, anyway, they did not do
a HYSTORICCT to me. So for Walker me, We're going, well,
maybe there's still a chance, you know, Like that's how
badly we love having kids. Like that is you know
his his only dream is not music, but that that

(55:59):
is my dream. Like I love having kids and just
pouring everything I have into them. Like, um, I don't know.
So yeah, to wake up and to realize we were
done and that you know, that wasn't our plan. You know,
that was our plans. Just getting completely halted and told
you know, you're doing a one A D from this, actually,

(56:19):
you know, Um, it is hard. Is so many layers
to process, to take in, so many levels of grief.
You know, we're grieving Oakley, you know, after losing her.
You know, I'm my body has a hard time healing.
And then it's the things like your milk still comes in,
you know, a day or two later, and it's such
a harsh reminder that you don't have a baby. Um.

(56:40):
And so you have these physical things you're dealing with
the emotional toll. Um. You know, you're almost still in
so much shock. It's kind of the Lord's way of
protecting you. You can't take it in. It's hard to
even grasp it's a process of grieving because you can't
you can't really understand the weight of it. And immediately, um,

(57:01):
and yeah, we had so many people there for us, UM,
the people at the hospital, the stuff we didn't know,
I mean, hold her, spend time with her, hugger, you know,
love what you can, UM, trying to memorize our features.
You know, you just look at her toes and you
just like study or stop looking at her because you're

(57:22):
not you won't You're not gonna see her again. UM.
A photographer named Callie showed up and did pictures for us.
And you know, then I said, you know, Leela is
our only child that met her and held her. But
I said, you know, don't take pictures on your cell
phone because I don't know that you'll want that in
your camera role. And I regret that. I mean, you know,

(57:42):
I didn't know. It's not you're not taught on how
to do this, and so we didn't take snapshots of her.
But thankfully Callie was there and did pictures of her,
and that's all we have. And so, UM, I am
so thankful because I mean what I what, I do
things differently in some as, yes, but in other ways,
I'm so thankful that these people all showed up because

(58:03):
they helped us grieve in the healthiest way that we
possibly could going through something like that. And we wouldn't
have known how to do that, um, how to walk
through losing her. And and then you know, it's the
things you're not expected for. You know, you're holding you're
holding your dead baby, and you just it is the

(58:25):
weirdest thing. They look just like every other newborn we
ever had, and you are you were physically staring at them,
going please just breathe, like there's you know, you just think, oh,
they're gonna start breathing. You know they're not. This isn't true.
You know they're going to breathe. You know, it's just

(58:45):
hard to it's hard to take it in because you
really are And the other thing and this is you know,
maybe a lot of information, but she was cold, and
so the mom and you just keeps kind of wanting
to snuggle her up and hold her ohs, and wrap
her up because you know she's cold. And um, you know, spiritually,

(59:06):
I'm going, she's not here. You know, this is just
her shell. She's not here. She's very much alive, just
not right here with me. But the mom of you
can't get past the this is her physical body that
you want to care for, um, even though you know
she's not there. But it's it is traumatic and traumatizing,

(59:29):
and we do want to share a story because if
it can help somebody, like you said, not feel alone,
if it can you know, if we can help somebody
grieve and the healthiest way that they can, you know,
we want to. We want to do that. It's also therapeutic,
I mean selfishly, just to relive it. Um, I can
still just as we talk about it, there's there's still

(59:53):
shock here. I mean, it really is that her picture
is at the it's it's in our room. It's in
our room where it all went down. And um, I
mean some nights we just sit there and talk, you know,
and and look at her picture and still absorb like
this happened to us. You know, like you said, it's

(01:00:13):
probably a miracle that you can't if you could, if
you could feel it all at one time, you'd probably
just explode, you know, your your heart would stop or something.
But yeah, um, we we were so lucky the community.
This community. UM not gonna lie. Like artists were so competitive,

(01:00:35):
like we just compare each other to each other, and
we want to we want to be friends, but we
want to sell more albums than the other one or
I do speaking personally. But I'm gonna tell you something
when something like this happens, or when it did to us.
We had a meal that day from Russell Dickerson's uh family,
him and his wife that day, I know, they were

(01:00:57):
busy uh CMT stuff and she left and homemade the
most incredible lasagna and yeah, just soup, every just it
buckets a film. I mean we I don't think we
paid for a meal or fixed a meal. She you know, Oakley.
We lost Oakley in June, on June six, and I
promise you we had food till September, more food than

(01:01:20):
we could eat, you know. And and for us to
be you know, we felt it took us a while,
like to just get back out into life, you know.
And so the last thing you wanted to do, what
was was like worry about where we're gonna eat tonight.
And and so yeah, I mean it was we were
so well taking care of Craig and Laura showed up,

(01:01:42):
they met, they met Oakley, they they held her that
he actually officiated like a little a funeral service. My
my boys and I buried her like we've filled it
the whole up with dirt. And you know, Craig and
Laura were there and we were just so rounded by
We had a lot of family and friends show up

(01:02:03):
that day, and you know, it's it's a tricky situation
for all of us to navigate. Nobody knows what to do,
and you know, death is awkward. It can be awkward
for all of us. We don't know how to walk
through it really, and nobody, I mean people talk about it,
but um, well I think y'all being willing to share

(01:02:24):
your story and then kind of also too, Yeah, it
is that that's an accurate statement. Death is is awkward.
Um So it's like just people should just show up.
I mean it's a reminder for me to hear that too,
and I think other people listening, like if some if
you know someone's gone through something, sometimes you just don't

(01:02:44):
want to be in the way or you don't wanna
like you don't really know. Well, I'm not that close
to them, but I mean I have sympathy for them,
I empathize or whatever the case may be. Like I
hurt for them right now because I know that they're
hurting and this has got to be painful. But but
what do I do? And so I don't know, Like

(01:03:04):
sometimes we do nothing. Yeah, but it's I think that
that's probably a reminder that just just do. If it's
put on your heart, like, don't ignore that, just do.
And I know probably the people that sent meal was
and you know, publishing companies and labels and you know,
so many people were providing food for us and that

(01:03:25):
might seem silly and small to them, but it really did.
People feeding us through August it was I mean it
really was such a blessing because physically I couldn't for
a while, and then after that you just are trying
to pick up the pieces. I mean, you just are
trying to your best to maintain some sort of let's
get back into life, like we can't just hold up

(01:03:47):
in our house forever. Um. And to have that taken
care of and provided for us, it really was that
was huge. That was so huge, and that was you know,
maybe people saw that as small just Okay, I'm gonna
send him a gift card for Uber eats or whatever
people might have done. I mean, it makes what you're saying,
that's like to me, the US experiencing that and and

(01:04:11):
the people that did show up, um, it's it's to
to me like the right answer in that case that
you're talking about, because I feel the same way, like
I don't even know that guy that well, and like
it's gonna be weird, you know if I show up
and I feel like the right answer takes the most
courage and and like, Craig, can you imagine how scary

(01:04:35):
it would be to drive up to a dude son
based baseball game Son's baseball game and be like take
this car? Like I can't imagine a more frightening thing
to do. Um. And the same thing you talk about
Michelle showing up for me that day, I'm not like
I'm I'm I'm I'm pretty angry person and amidst like

(01:04:56):
emotions like that. So I can't imagine being on her
side of that waiting room and talking to a completely
silent man whose wife isn't even out and okay yet
and just start black and just start telling my story.
You know. That's just I had to. That required some

(01:05:17):
serious bravery. Um. So yeah, what I'm saying is probably
like it's good just to show. Yeah, I mean, that's
what I'm receiving from this now, and even a reminder
to myself. And then sometimes when you're hesitant on sharing
your story and sometimes it may hurt, but I think
that what you all have learned for it too is
it's therapeutic. And then also like Michelle, it probably was painful.

(01:05:42):
It probably walked her through her entire thing and she's
having to relive it, but somewhat therapeutic. But also now
it gives not that you want to give. You have
to find. It's almost like you want to find the
reasons why things go bad. It's not like there's the
whole that will everything happens for a reason. Are like, okay,
well this is why that happens that we can better

(01:06:02):
prepare me. But for me, I think if you look
at it like, um, yeah, this was a really crappy situation,
like this sucked, but in order to make the best
of it, I have to look for the ways to
make this better. Like you can choose to live in
the crap and make it crappy and it be a
horrible situation like the whole, like my mom's games about

(01:06:23):
losing her to that it could have been, like we
could have just lived in the crap. It sucked. It
was brutal. The things I saw I will never unsee,
and it was horrible and nobody should have to die
that way, like it just was not right. And you know,
I was there to her last breath. I even laid
with her dead body for like an hour with my
sister and thought it was awkward, but it's like my

(01:06:44):
sister I made a choice, like, Okay, what are we
gonna do from here on out? What's the legacy going
to be? Are we gonna, you know, just sit in
this yuck or are we gonna like look for how
we can help others with this, you know? And so
then now that's what we've done, and I feel like
to y'all sharing your story, that's what you can do
is look for the reasons. And for Michelle, yeah, I

(01:07:05):
mean she went through it, but then she was able
to help you, and she was said she was like
your angel that day walker, I mean, like a huge blessing.
And then now y'all are going to be that for
somebody else, because it's the stuff is going to happen
in life. It is. But when you put yourself out
there and you open up, like you have an opportunity
to be that angel for somebody else, Like I gyearantee

(01:07:28):
you somebody listening right now, Like it has been or
God forbid, like somebody listening and then you know, something
like a year or two later, something may happen where
this podcast may right and they may remember, oh gosh,
like they may know what you're saying and the things
like remember too how to how to grieve and everybody

(01:07:48):
grieves differently, but um, and not that y'all went into
necessarily exactly how you grieve the process, but just for
y'all being open and sharing, and I'm so thankful and
I appreciate at you opening up for my listeners to. Okay,

(01:08:12):
so now it's gratitude time and I want to hear
the four things. So technically, because it's times too, today,
we're gonna get eighty eight things. Yeah, well Walker you
get four and Landy you get four. And it's just
something fun to do because you know, with gratitude, when
you practice that, that's what brings true joy, and so

(01:08:33):
that's we're all about on the podcast. So we want
to encourage that and maybe it'll get other people to
be thinking about what they're grateful for today. Okay, putting
me on the spot here, well obviously, I mean I'm
just not just saying that, but right here I'll tell
Laney this all the time, and uh, I mean it's

(01:08:53):
it's so cheesy, but I'm grateful for her. Uh you
know who I never would have thought, you know, just
I mean, I guess I'm like halfway through life here,
and I'm just really glad you know that I have.
I'm glad I found her so early. Um, my best friend,
just just somebody I want to just to hold hold

(01:09:14):
my hand through everything, you know, and even the worst stuff.
You know, I've I feel like I've experimented holding Landy's
hand through all things, and um, She's there's no one
else I'd rather like get old with. So I'm obviously
grateful for her. I'm so grateful for all of my children,

(01:09:35):
living and gone. Um, they are unreal. I learned so
much from my kids about my own brokenness and um,
I don't know, they made me laugh, but they also
just make me love life, UM even more. I'm grateful

(01:09:56):
for Um. I'm grateful for music. You music, Uh, it
brought us together. Um it is uh. You know I
always tell any this and she makes fun of me
because I'm so emotionally attached to all music. But it's it,
truly is I can't imagine a life without it. I

(01:10:19):
can't imagine a life without being able to make it
for therapeutic reasons. Um, it has saved my life a
billion times. And UM it's it's given me um purpose
and then um and then my last you know, but

(01:10:39):
not least grateful And I don't really know how to
say this, but I'm right now. I'm I'm I'm grateful
for the Bible. I'm grateful for that book. Um. I
don't know everything in it. I don't know how to
a lie, you know, verse after verse, but I'm I'm

(01:11:03):
grateful that that is a resource, um for me at
this time in my life as I kind of add
up all my experiences and try to move forward as
an old man. Um, I'm glad it's there for me,
and the man in it is in there um with me.

(01:11:24):
I think, Oh, I love those four things Walker. I'm
gonna try to not jump all over the things here
so I can't come Kylie. No, I wish i'd gone first. Um.
This is super generic and it's kind of a you know,
wonderful like Miss America kind of answer. But UM, I know, right,

(01:11:46):
Miss Alabama. Not it doesn't really sue me. Very well.
But but I'm going to just go generic with love
on the first one. I mean, Walker and Uh spend
more time than you know just talking about love, just
how you know, how do we love each other better?
How do we love our kids better? How do we

(01:12:07):
love other people? Um? Obviously, you know, we have a
handful of people in our life that have really impacted
us in that have taught us, shown us. Um, you know, Craig,
other friends, reading about Jesus whatever. I mean, it's we

(01:12:27):
and another book we're both kind of reading right now.
I mean, we are constantly talking about how can we
just love other people better? Um, So that's just kind
of generic a little bit. Um. My second one, I
want to say laughter because that gets us through a
whole a whole, whole, whole lot. And you know, I'm

(01:12:48):
sure someone as Walker feels like the Jester of the family,
but I'm like, we laugh so much when he's home,
and I'm so grateful for that. Um, it gets you
through anything. It's like us trying to pick out a
burial plot for Oakley and it's the worst experience you
can even imagine walking through. And then he makes me laugh,
he makes comments and we just giggle and I'm like, godly,

(01:13:11):
I'm so thankful for moments of laughter, um, whether it's
in the hard times or the you know, super happy times.
And then the third I'm gonna have to say all
of my my living family. I mean I and Walker
has already touched on that, and I can't say anything
but kind of repeat what he says, Um, Walker, our

(01:13:32):
kids living Um. It's they are just such a joy
in my life. They because of all them, it makes
it harder to yearn for heaven because I love being
here with all of them so so so much. Um
that they they are just my everything. It's hard to

(01:13:54):
not make them idols in my life because I love
them that much. Um, I always want to be with them,
and I just I don't know, everything in my life
just wants to revolve around them. Um. And then the
fourth win, I'm gonna say Oakley, um, because I can

(01:14:14):
see the big picture of her and what the Lord
is doing with us having her and losing her, and
I'm so grateful. It's a stretch to say I'm grateful
for that experience because it is more painful than I
can even express, But I am so grateful for what

(01:14:39):
the Lord is teaching us and how he's using her life,
um to change us and to reach out to others
and just to make us more outwardly focused. And um,
just I think a lot of the changes that he
is working on in us would not have happened without
having lost her. And I wish those were lessons we

(01:15:02):
could have learned without losing her, but I'm not sure
we were in a place to do that. So, um,
I'm very grateful for her and what her life, even
though it was just nine months in utero, what that
is really teaching us and it continues to teach us. Well.

(01:15:22):
I just love nadoriall so much so, Walker Laney, thank
you for coming on. Boom. You'll nail it. The four
things finally always end the boom, all four things. And
you know, yes, through the I can't even tell you
how many times I got goose bumps when y'all were
talking and sharing, and um, you know, yeah, I'm I'm

(01:15:44):
grateful that y'all came one. No, you're rocking it. Also,
oh yeah, you know you know the laws, the technology,
no killing, just stuff I learned from Bobby. So yeah,
it is different though, because I've been you know, I've

(01:16:05):
been doing this a long time, like thirteen years, but
with Bobby, so now to kind of be on my own.
It's like a little bit and we were looking forward
to it, and we've listened to a couple of them.
You do a great job. I listen to him while
I'm working out recipes. Recipe. Yes on the first one,

(01:16:26):
Stevenson came on and shared it so cute. That was
his podcast debut. Yeah, well thanks, We all are great, um,
and I will see soon. You got to bring all
the kids over. I mean, we talked about all the time,
and it's happening. We're all getting together. We'll just come
over to your house. That's especially because it doesn't matter
about the yard of the house does not. You can't

(01:16:46):
mess up anything. Kind of crooked and dangerous. It's awesome, rusty,
we love it. Ag Um, Okay, Well, everybody go to
Walker Hayes dot com. I don't know why I just
kissed like that, but locker rays dot com download all
of his music Walker really really quick. What is your

(01:17:08):
favorite song you've ever put out? Ever put out? Not
gonna lie, it's just don't let her I know, I
know that's yeah, I mean, that's my favorite one me too,
but I just I didn't know if there was some
like you know, oh, yes, Halloween is so good. I'm
just trying to encourage people if they have never heard
your music like Halloween laylist stars or Lee lists sorry

(01:17:33):
um Lee list stars. Yes, money one of my favorites. Yeah,
but yeah, I mean this is the jam jams, a
little coffee favorite. Come on, we'll end on this and

(01:17:57):
turn it up bad m jam. Okay. So that's Walker
and Laney Hayes. If you weren't familiar with them before

(01:18:17):
today's episode, well you are now, and I hope you
love them as much as I do. I just appreciate
them coming on to do all four things with me
and opening up about different parts of their life, like
they're so amazing. You can follow Walker on Instagram at
Walker Hayes, and then on YouTube you got to check
out These are the Haze of Our Lives their little
YouTube show, get it like, these are the Days of

(01:18:37):
our Lives. But since their last name is Hayes, so yeah,
give them a follow. Tell them how much you you
loved them being on the podcast. If you did, I mean,
I'm not telling you all to just like lie, but
if you liked it. It never hurts to reach out
to someone and say, hey, thank you for sharing part
of your life with us, and thank you for doing
Amy's theme song like I love it. I personally love

(01:18:59):
it because I choose Joy level Lot eat Cake, which
that was our joy Seeker. I mean, we talked about
it in the interview that already existed, but the way
Walker turned it into my theme song, I love it.
And then of course Pimp and Joy, which the note
I got from my email shout out today has to
do with Pimp and Joy, so it's a perfect tie in.
I thought this was a great email to wrap up

(01:19:20):
the Walker and Laney Hayes Four Things podcast. So this
email comes from Suzanne and Susanne. I love this. Thank
you for sharing this email with me. Amy. I just
had to share this story with you because it brought
so much joy to me and I know it will
bring the same to you. I recently made a big
move into d C to live by myself for the
first time. I was absolutely terrified, but I faced that

(01:19:40):
fear head on, especially with the help of your podcast.
A few weeks ago, I was crossing a street with
my dog and spotted a driver's license. I watched as
tons of people stepped on or over it. It only
took a second of my time, but I picked it
up and took it home with me. I sent it
back to the owner with a quick note that said,
hope this reaches you in time. Just a kind thing
I could do for you. Hashtag pimp and joy. Long

(01:20:03):
story short. After a very stressful week, I returned home
to my little apartment to find a card in the
mail with a message that said, you give me hope
for humanity in this world. Uh, Suzanne, great story. Yes,
you saw a license, you took the time to pick
it up, you checked out the address you mailed as
to the person. They probably thought their license was gone forever,

(01:20:24):
which I recently lost my license and I still haven't
gotten it back, and I still need to go figure
out how I'm gonna get a new one. I don't
know what I need to do, call and renew or
go to the d m V. But the DMV, just
like even saying it right now sort of stresses me out.
But I'm sure that this person was obviously so thankful,
and yes, you gave them hope for humanity in this
world by your little kind act. And that is what

(01:20:46):
Pim and Joy is all about. I mean, first of all,
Susan alludes to the fact that I think she's choosing
joy for herself even though she was terrified moving to
do d C, but then she decided to spread joy
to others and pimp and join in a nutshell is
about that. Choose joy, spread spread joy, be Joy. I
know that I can't talk, but somehow I have this podcast.

(01:21:07):
So choose joy, Spread joy, be joy, all things joy.
So shout out Suzanne, and shout out to all of
you out there that are Pimp and Joy. You can
always post stuff on Instagram use the hashtag. If you
want to get any Pimp and Joy swag for yourself,
just go to Radio Amy dot com and that's where

(01:21:28):
you can find a link to Pimp and Joy stuff.
Same link that will take you to Pimp and Joy
will also get you to a spuaw Things, which is
our line that supports Haiti. And just a quick note
on that, we have launched the Teacher for Things tote
bags and there's a code. There's a discount code for
teachers and it's Apple. Actually there's two codes that will work.

(01:21:51):
You're only gonna get still tim percent either way, but
two codes you can type in Apple or west Rock
because we're doing whole thing on the Bobby Bones Show
with West Rock Coffee. That's like we're big West Rock
Coffee fans and they do a lot of really amazing
good things in this world. They even are delivering I
think right now, like as I speak, some four things
toebags to Rwanda, Like how cool is that the teachers

(01:22:14):
in Rwanda are going to have topebags Four things topebags
Like it's amazing. So uh yeah, if you are a teacher,
you can get the teacher toe, which the four things
on our already made teacher toe say caffeine, eate, educate, sleep, repeat,
pretty cute, um if you I know, we went back

(01:22:35):
and forth on what the four things are going to
be for our teacher tote, and I know we didn't
make everybody happy with that one, but overall it's been
a great response. But if we didn't make one the
way you like it, that's the beauty of the four
things to You can also customize your own, so that
is super cool. You can just think of the four
things you wished or on your teacher toe or our
teacher toe and and make your own, so that's that's

(01:22:58):
the fun part. Or make it for a teacher in
your life, or yeah, maybe you're not a teacher, but
you've got kids and you want to get your teacher
a gift, well, then order them the teacher tote. Pretty
much every teacher can relate to caffeinate, educate, sleep, repeat,
and um what else? There was one more thing associated that.
Oh yeah, we are still working on a think around

(01:23:19):
September is when we will launch the sponsored Teacher Tote
where we want to have you guys come alongside and
sponsor some totes, and then we're trying to get donations
and maybe even people sponsoring, like you know with funds,
like when you buy a tote, you could check out
and say like, oh, I want to donate an extra
five or ten or fifteen dollars, or maybe you can't

(01:23:40):
even afford to buy a tote, but you can do
the five dollars. It'll go towards what We're gonna fill
the tote with two kind of bless teachers and then
people are gonna be able to nominate teachers and then
we'll pick them and then we'll just mail them a
surprise tote full of all kinds of amazing goodies inside
and that fun. Okay, we hope that y'all will join in.
We'd like need to. This is where they we need
to rally the troops and spread the word. Y'all are

(01:24:02):
amazing at that. Like I feel like we've got a
great little community going here, but this will be one
where we've got to just spread the word on Facebook,
on Instagram, tell your friends, UM, send emails. Maybe just
tell your book club, your mom's group, your this or that.
I don't know how you spread the word, but word
of mouth is what we've got, so that's what we've
got to use. Which speaking have the same same way

(01:24:23):
for this podcast. Word of mouth. Tell your people and subscribe.
That would be huge. Really just subscribing and rating and
reviewing is amazing. Maybe you don't have time to write
and review. Just click subscribe, boom. Tell your friends, go
on your husband's phone, click subscribe, maybe he'll start listening.
Then we got another mail listener. I feel like every

(01:24:43):
time we get a mail listener and Angel gets its wings.
So okay, y'all are amazing. Um Again, shout out Walker
and Laney Hayes for being on Today Life he can't.
He can't be kind, love for life, cast up broth things,

(01:25:07):
little food for yourself. So life ain't always pretty, but hey,
it's pretty, beautiful things beautiful, laugh a little more. Families
tightened up because I ain't him, of course, said he
can't cut your kicking. There with fouring with Amy Brown