Interview with Karen Wilson, Mother of Murder Victim Moriah Wilson

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Welcome welcome my friends to Round Trip Death,

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the podcast where we have conversations with

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people who have died, visited the other side,

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and return to talk about it. Today as you can

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see we've done away with our fancy intro, it's

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just me. In a couple of minutes we'll also have

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a guest on, but before we do I wanted to share

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some personal insights. as we've just passed

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our three -year anniversary of the show. I hope

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in some small way that this podcast means as

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much to you as it does to me. I feel the love

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from our hundreds of thousands of listeners.

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I feel like I've made a new friend with each

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and every guest on the show. Whether you're listening

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while walking in the forest, commuting on the

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San Diego freeway, or viewing on YouTube. I'm

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so glad that you're with us. I learned so much

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from the experiences of our guests and from the

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many emails and other interactions with our listeners.

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From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank

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you all. In case you haven't noticed yet, this

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show is not about grandizing or click baiting

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near -death experiences. Rather, it's about learning

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from each other and sharing messages of hope.

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At its simplest essence, It's about hope in an

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afterlife, hope in a loving, caring God that's

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in the details of our lives and experiences,

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hope that we'll be with our deceased loved ones

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again. Hope in the future beyond this life. It

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really is a better place. And it's all about

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love. Whether you believe in Jesus or Buddha

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or Muhammad or any other being or source, the

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truth is there is a God that loves you always

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has loved you and always will love you no matter

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what your actions are or what your beliefs are.

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And we can make this world a better place by

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loving and serving each other. Unlike most of

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our episodes, today's is not an interview with

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someone who's had an NDE. Earlier this year we

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had a guest by the name of Kate Quay. It's episode

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506 and if you haven't heard it yet you might

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want to start there. Kate had a beautiful shared

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-death type of experience when one of her best

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friends was brutally murdered. The experience

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helped her deal with the grief and the pain.

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Sometime later she sent a long letter to her

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friend's mother. The day that that letter was

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received was the same day that the murderer was

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sentenced. It was the day that the mother needed

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that loving healing letter. Today's interview

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is with Karen Wilson, the victim's mother who

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received that letter that emotional day. This

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is an example of how we can show love to a neighbor

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and the life -changing effects it can have. I'd

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love to welcome to the show today Karen Wilson,

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who lives in Vermont, but you're in Maine today,

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aren't you? I am on an island. On an island in

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a lake? This time of year, do you walk to it

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or take a boat to an island? Go across the ice

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and skis or snowshoes. Wow, that sounds great.

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Some kind of a girls getaway, right? Yeah. Yep.

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I appreciate you taking a little time from that

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to talk to us today. Would you like to tell us

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what did you email to me and why? Well, I can't

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remember it word for word. But the reason I can

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remember that is because the day I heard that

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podcast was an example of God's perfect timing.

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And that that whole story with Kate is actually

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has layers of that and that particular day that

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I heard that podcast. I had spent some time rereading

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some of my daughter's journals because I was

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preparing to write an intro paragraph on her,

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on the Mariah Wilson Foundation website, an intro

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paragraph to our annual report showing all of

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the organizations that we supported. in 2024

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to honor her life and her unfinished work on

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unearth hair that she had in her heart that she

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wanted to do. And we have continued to do on

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behalf of her. And so as I was preparing to write

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that paragraph, I wanted to tune into her spirit

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and to read some of her words that she wrote

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in her journal and just kind of focus on her.

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Sometimes I avoid doing that because it can be

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almost a little painful and I'll get really,

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really sad because I miss her so much. But that

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day I felt really strong and I just dove in there

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and it felt really good to kind of connect with

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her heart. And the words came right out and that

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paragraph came together and I felt really great

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about it. And then I made myself a cup of tea

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and I sat down and I turned on one of your podcasts

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because Kate had shared your podcast with me

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because we had been talking about how near -death

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experiences can really help those who are struggling

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with grief and wondering where their loved ones

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are and that kind of thing. So I had turned on

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the podcast, never knowing that Kate had been

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recorded with you. There she is. She comes on

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right on that day at that moment when I was just

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so tuned in to Mariah. And I just, I felt like

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it was literally a miracle was taking place right

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then and there. And it was so incredible. So

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at the end of it, I just had to share that with

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you because I just had to tell somebody and I

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thought, well, you were probably one. I don't

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know. I just. Just wanted to share that with

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you because I think you really like hearing stories.

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And, and I actually sent Kate an email. I'm telling

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her too. And those were my two instantaneous

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reactions after I finished listening to it. Well,

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I appreciate it. And it was very sweet. And I

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appreciated hearing about Mariah. Kate didn't,

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like I said, didn't mention her name. She didn't

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know if the family would be okay with that or

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not. And you are. We're going to talk about Mariah

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for a minute. How long ago did you lose her?

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It was on May 11th, 2022. Okay, so just coming

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up on three years ago, so this is still very

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fresh and raw and I really appreciate you realizing

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that we will do our very best to treat this as

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respectfully as we can and opening up for me

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and for our listeners here. You had some other

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spiritual things happen in conjunction with her

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death. and soon afterwards. Would you mind telling

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us about some of those? Okay, my personal experiences?

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I could actually go back to the day she was...

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I brought her home from the hospital. You really

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want to... Okay, let's start there. The moment

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she was born, when I looked at her, she was so

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familiar. You know, all that time you're going

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through a pregnancy, you wonder, what's my baby

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going to look like? What's my baby going to look

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like? And you can't wait to meet them. And when

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I looked at her... I felt like I had known her

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forever, that she was so familiar. I remember

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thinking, oh, of course, that's what you look

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like. Like, I know this face. It was really unexpected.

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And to me, it was a spiritual thing because it

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just felt like a spiritual connection, you know.

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And anyway, and then a couple of days later,

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when I was holding her at home, I was listening

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to a Sean Colvin song about I'm going to miss

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you when you go. And I started having this intensely

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profound sadness come over me that she was gonna

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leave me someday. And I just cried and cried

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and cried. And now that she has left, I can't

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help but think about how Mary was given that

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vision. when she was told by the spirit that

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someday her heart was going to be pierced, you

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know, when, when, when Jesus was going to be

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crucified. And I, and I can't compare myself

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to Mary or Jesus, but it was like this premonition

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was like this, this message that came to me as,

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as she was an infant that someday you're going

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to have to say goodbye to her. And I just, and

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I thought in my mind, I was like, Oh, she's going

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to get married and she's going to leave and she's

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not going to leave at home. You know, she's going

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to have her own life. That's kind of how I, interpreted

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at the time. But now that I look at that, because

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I didn't have that experience with my son, I

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think it was just another of God's ways of almost

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preparing me like this. And I never dwelt over

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it or anything, but in retrospect, I see it as

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a message that came. So that was a spiritual

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thing. A few weeks or maybe a month or so before

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she was killed, I had a dream of her figure.

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and a gunshot. And I woke up instantly and I

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just kept saying, no, no, no, no, that's not

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going to happen. No, it's not going to happen.

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I didn't really tell anybody about that because

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it's not something you really want to talk about.

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But that happened. And I even remember having

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conversations with guys sometimes about, you

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know, your biggest fear as a parent is losing

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a child. I would be like, Okay, well the worst

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thing that can happen is you know, my child could

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die, right? That's kind of like your worst fear

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but then on my faith level I Was like but but

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there's eternal life So it's really not as bad

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as I think it could be if it really happens and

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I remember kind of going through those scenarios

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in my head sometimes and Another kind of preparation

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almost I guess anyway after she died Oh, no,

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the night that she was killed and I didn't know

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she was killed, I was in bed and it was right

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around the time of her death and me not knowing

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it, of course. And I was reading a little book

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of poetry and I was reading about hope, a poem

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about hope. And I kept going back to it and reading

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it over and over and I was really drawn to it.

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And it just seemed like there was some significant

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thing about hope at that moment. And then when

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I found out what happened the next day, I remembered

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what I was doing the night before. And I knew

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right away, this, this is, I have to hang on

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to hope. Hope is a significant ingredient in

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this experience, in this whole story. And even

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that next day, I decided someday I'm getting

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a dog. I'm going to name her Hope. And I do have

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that dog named Hope now. And hope is just a big

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theme right now. And then when I did find out

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that morning, Or that after it was the next day

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in the afternoon. I was in the in the garden

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and well I'll go a little bit further that that

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evening is really Really kind of more of the

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spiritual experience. There's two things that

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happened that night. I Was getting ready to go

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to sleep. It was the first night going, you know

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getting getting ready for the evening and I went

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out to the garden and watered it. It was getting

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pretty dark out The Sun had already set Was turning

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off the water to the hose and I heard this Wind

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going in the trees and drew my attention up to

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the trees and I just Felt like God was getting

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my attention. I did and I just first of all said,

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please let her know that we're gonna be okay

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and I told God just I Don't want her to worry

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about us and you're gonna take care of us and

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we're gonna be okay And then I said, but I need

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one thing from you and I need it right now that

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I need to know that you have her and she's okay.

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And she's safe. And then right after I said that,

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I said it was such conviction and expectation.

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I, this little bird flew over me and I, cause

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I said, give me a sign. I need a sign that she's

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okay. And this little bird flew over me and I

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thought maybe it was a bat, but I didn't really

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want it to be a bat. Cause so I followed it up

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to where it went. and I looked into the trees

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where it went and then I heard the chickadee

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call and it and it went do do and to me I heard

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I have her I have her now whenever I hear the

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chickadee that's what I hear I have her and it

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comforts me so wonderfully and I was so grateful

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for that. That was just like an instantaneous

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answer to prayer. And prayer doesn't always come

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answered that instantaneously, but it truly was.

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And then that night, I sensed her in the house,

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very, very distinctly, her presence was there

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with us. And it was like all through the hours

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of the night. So I was like half asleep, half

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awake, never aware that there was her presence

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was there. It was like this whole atmospheric

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change that I can't really describe, but it was

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this vibration or sense of presence. And it's

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like she was joining in our own state of grief

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because she was, I think, sad to leave. We were,

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you know, obviously we're all shocked and including

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her. It's like she was there to feel that with

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us. So there wasn't really necessarily any distinct

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emotion. It was just her presence and she was

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just there, just her presence. And then in the

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morning it was gone. And when I got up and I

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said to my son and my husband, did you feel it?

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Did you feel her? And they all went, yeah. And

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just to interject, when people listen to Kate's

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interview from a couple of weeks ago, they will

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hear her story. her experience with Mariah shortly

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after her death also. And I believe when you

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and I talked previously, you mentioned another

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friend that had an experience too. Who was that

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and what happened? That was her friend in Colorado

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who was mentoring her and yeah, he was walking

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down the street and someone came out to him and

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said, I can see people who have died. And there's

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someone with you. I don't even think he knew

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who she was. I can't really remember the story

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exactly, but basically he went home and into

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a room and he sensed her presence with her as

00:15:17.700 --> 00:15:20.700
well. I think the way he described it was very

00:15:20.700 --> 00:15:23.659
similar to how I felt in the night. So I think

00:15:23.659 --> 00:15:28.340
she visited him. They had some time together.

00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:33.600
She visited her friend who found her when she

00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:36.779
had died and tried to revive her and when she

00:15:36.779 --> 00:15:39.700
was recovering trying you know attempting to

00:15:39.700 --> 00:15:43.100
recover from being in shock and yeah she felt

00:15:43.100 --> 00:15:47.120
her hand come into her hand to comfort her which

00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:50.240
was that night I think it was that night not

00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:54.360
positive but it was very shortly after so she

00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:57.659
kind of made her rounds I think you know to the

00:15:57.659 --> 00:16:00.980
people that she needed to Be with say goodbye

00:16:00.980 --> 00:16:04.500
to I don't know exactly, you know the reasons

00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:08.960
but she made her rounds and I think her last

00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:12.220
visit was at our place which was three days after

00:16:12.220 --> 00:16:15.440
and I kind of get the sense that The spirit makes

00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:18.320
their final departure in some cases. I don't

00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:21.519
Understand all of it, but I have this sense that

00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:24.759
after that third day I think they make their

00:16:24.759 --> 00:16:27.240
full transition but not to say that their spirit

00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:31.960
is still not with us Yeah, absolutely. I wonder

00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:34.679
if the reason, you and I were talking and I was

00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:37.159
very, very honest. I said, I don't know why I

00:16:37.159 --> 00:16:40.100
feel like we need to have you on the show because

00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:41.820
it doesn't really fit the format of the show

00:16:41.820 --> 00:16:45.080
that much. Right. But I felt very strongly like

00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:47.779
we need to, and maybe there's somebody out there

00:16:47.779 --> 00:16:50.960
that's grieving today. And this message can bring

00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:54.139
some comfort to them and to all of us who are

00:16:54.139 --> 00:16:56.870
going to have to grieve at some point. Knowing

00:16:56.870 --> 00:16:59.769
that these people are still alive that they still

00:16:59.769 --> 00:17:03.269
love us that they care about us enough Like you

00:17:03.269 --> 00:17:06.250
said to reach out and make sure that you were

00:17:06.250 --> 00:17:10.009
doing okay That's a big deal and we may not have

00:17:10.009 --> 00:17:13.329
a profound experience We may not like see this

00:17:13.329 --> 00:17:16.750
person in spiritual form or something but even

00:17:16.750 --> 00:17:20.029
the little feelings around us of their presence

00:17:20.029 --> 00:17:23.769
can be very very real and So let's not discount

00:17:23.769 --> 00:17:27.809
those things. Let's Go with that. What else do

00:17:27.809 --> 00:17:31.089
you have to say to people? Expect those little

00:17:31.089 --> 00:17:35.490
messages, those little signs, you know, either

00:17:35.490 --> 00:17:39.970
from your loved one and or together with God.

00:17:40.069 --> 00:17:44.430
I think they're together. Their spirits are united

00:17:44.430 --> 00:17:46.970
and our spirits are united with them too. I believe

00:17:46.970 --> 00:17:50.869
we are all connected. I believe that so profoundly.

00:17:51.529 --> 00:17:54.769
When, you know, when a loved one dies, it definitely

00:17:54.769 --> 00:17:58.650
changes. It changes you. And part of you does

00:17:58.650 --> 00:18:01.730
die with them. Everything seems to kind of turn

00:18:01.730 --> 00:18:05.289
upside down. And it seems like you're really

00:18:05.289 --> 00:18:08.730
alone, especially when something happens super

00:18:08.730 --> 00:18:12.750
suddenly and it's so shocking. And if it's a

00:18:12.750 --> 00:18:15.829
child, it's even that much more intense for sure.

00:18:16.210 --> 00:18:19.390
I think there's so many promises that God is

00:18:19.390 --> 00:18:23.029
close to the broken hearted. and to look for

00:18:23.029 --> 00:18:26.349
that presence of His love and comfort, that that

00:18:26.349 --> 00:18:30.349
infinite love is all around us all the time.

00:18:30.569 --> 00:18:34.950
When we're in a really dark place, the more we

00:18:34.950 --> 00:18:42.049
trust in that infinite, boundless, powerful love,

00:18:42.470 --> 00:18:46.049
trusting in it, Can make all of the difference

00:18:46.049 --> 00:18:49.890
you will see signs of it. I can give an example

00:18:49.890 --> 00:18:52.950
For instance when we put some of her ashes in

00:18:52.950 --> 00:18:56.970
the lake here one morning at sunrise Right after

00:18:56.970 --> 00:18:59.670
we put the ashes in the lake right in our eyes

00:18:59.670 --> 00:19:02.390
view flew an eagle like right in front of us

00:19:02.390 --> 00:19:04.730
That never has happened before. I don't know

00:19:04.730 --> 00:19:09.170
if it'll ever happen again. It was just so beautiful

00:19:09.170 --> 00:19:12.910
So I've had so many different things like that

00:19:12.910 --> 00:19:16.089
happen Another one is we were sitting on the

00:19:16.089 --> 00:19:19.450
front porch here and we were watching the celebration

00:19:19.450 --> 00:19:22.190
of life of her life in California by her friends

00:19:22.190 --> 00:19:25.410
there. And we're sitting on the porch with our

00:19:25.410 --> 00:19:27.470
friends who lost their son in an avalanche who

00:19:27.470 --> 00:19:30.769
was good friends with Mariah. And we are looking

00:19:30.769 --> 00:19:34.309
at it on the front porch and as it started the

00:19:34.309 --> 00:19:37.890
most incredible rainbow came out over the sky

00:19:37.890 --> 00:19:40.529
the most beautiful rainbow I've ever seen here.

00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:44.619
It just shows God's love, like He loves us so

00:19:44.619 --> 00:19:47.359
much, so very much. And that's one of the things

00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:50.880
I've learned from listening to all the NDEs is

00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:54.480
the most common element in so many of them is

00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:57.980
the depth of love that people sense and the light.

00:19:58.279 --> 00:20:00.579
And I think that's why I'm so drawn to listening

00:20:00.579 --> 00:20:04.819
to them and reading about them is I've gone deeper

00:20:04.819 --> 00:20:09.250
into my faith and into my trust. of God's love

00:20:09.250 --> 00:20:12.990
for us, for every single person. And I think

00:20:12.990 --> 00:20:16.710
we can't forget that when we go through something

00:20:16.710 --> 00:20:19.970
super hard, that God is with us through all of

00:20:19.970 --> 00:20:22.809
it. His love is here, is always around us. We're

00:20:22.809 --> 00:20:26.089
not alone. And we are going to feel sad and we

00:20:26.089 --> 00:20:29.509
are going to fall into pits of darkness. But

00:20:29.509 --> 00:20:33.240
we we have to choose to cry out and call out

00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:36.819
and ask God to help us and trust that he is right

00:20:36.819 --> 00:20:39.859
there all the time and when we do we will be

00:20:39.859 --> 00:20:44.200
lifted out of that darkness and Discover all

00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:46.980
kinds of wonderful things. There's this level

00:20:46.980 --> 00:20:51.680
of joy that's actually bubbled up out of the

00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:56.079
depths of grief Sometimes I think our life experience

00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:59.349
is like a pendulum The more we experience the

00:20:59.349 --> 00:21:02.309
depth of pain and sorrow and suffering, the more

00:21:02.309 --> 00:21:04.970
the pendulum can swing over and feel the depths

00:21:04.970 --> 00:21:10.289
of joy and love. Absolutely. How much do you

00:21:10.289 --> 00:21:13.029
appreciate your health after you've been sick?

00:21:13.710 --> 00:21:15.769
Right. I mean, who wants to live in a world where

00:21:15.769 --> 00:21:18.690
it just moves a little bit, you know, like to

00:21:18.690 --> 00:21:22.369
be in a safe zone of not feeling hardly anything.

00:21:22.650 --> 00:21:25.509
Sometimes I do when the alternative is something

00:21:25.509 --> 00:21:29.420
super hard. I admit it. But no, I totally get

00:21:29.420 --> 00:21:31.920
and agree with what you're saying. The other

00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:35.480
point that has come up to me between talking

00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:38.660
with you and hearing Kate's story about sending

00:21:38.660 --> 00:21:42.759
you the letter is God's timing in things. She

00:21:42.759 --> 00:21:46.119
had been trying to send you that letter for a

00:21:46.119 --> 00:21:48.759
little while and people will have to go back

00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:51.440
and listen to her episode to hear what all happened

00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:56.230
with that. But her letter to you, just for some

00:21:56.230 --> 00:22:00.289
reason, got to you the exact day you needed it.

00:22:01.170 --> 00:22:03.910
Right? It sure did. Tell the listeners what was

00:22:03.910 --> 00:22:06.730
going on that day. It was a really hard day.

00:22:06.789 --> 00:22:08.589
It's something I've been putting off for a long,

00:22:08.950 --> 00:22:12.670
long time. I mean, I had so many months, but

00:22:12.670 --> 00:22:15.869
we had to write a victim statement for the court

00:22:15.869 --> 00:22:19.829
of the impact the crime had on our lives. And

00:22:19.829 --> 00:22:23.890
to put all of that in words was extremely painful

00:22:23.890 --> 00:22:31.029
and emotional. And I got Kate's letter. And I

00:22:31.029 --> 00:22:34.990
just couldn't believe the depth of love I felt

00:22:34.990 --> 00:22:38.230
in that letter and encouragement and the timing.

00:22:38.589 --> 00:22:41.329
I just was like, this is amazing that this letter

00:22:41.329 --> 00:22:46.329
came today, as I was working on this. And I actually

00:22:46.329 --> 00:22:50.890
have it right here. I just like love this. And

00:22:50.890 --> 00:22:53.759
I love to reread it. And I actually read it this

00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:56.839
morning to my friends. Yeah, the timing, God's

00:22:56.839 --> 00:22:59.759
timing is so perfect. And the thing about God's

00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:03.019
timing, part of my life lesson is being patient.

00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:07.099
We live in a world of instantaneous everything

00:23:07.099 --> 00:23:12.000
when it comes to prayer and just how the whole

00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:15.059
universe functions and how, you know, the infinite

00:23:15.059 --> 00:23:18.099
wisdom of our Creator is working all things out

00:23:18.099 --> 00:23:21.960
for good. We have to trust that process and a

00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:24.900
lot of that requires patience But that's another

00:23:24.900 --> 00:23:27.799
way that God's love can be manifest is in the

00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:31.420
timing It's not just that you receive Kate's

00:23:31.420 --> 00:23:34.619
letter. It was when you received it, right? And

00:23:34.619 --> 00:23:38.299
that takes patience, but it's also I think shows

00:23:38.299 --> 00:23:41.819
his love as well and the timing of some of the

00:23:41.819 --> 00:23:43.859
other things that have happened with you with

00:23:43.859 --> 00:23:47.279
this and frankly the timing of the email that

00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:50.630
you sent me Was at a time I really needed it

00:23:50.630 --> 00:23:53.910
too and and it really meant a lot to me and I

00:23:53.910 --> 00:23:57.349
really appreciated that very much Lastly before

00:23:57.349 --> 00:24:01.109
I let you go Tell us about the foundation that

00:24:01.109 --> 00:24:05.289
you set up in memory of Mariah and why so Mariah?

00:24:05.589 --> 00:24:08.609
had written some of her last entries in her journal

00:24:08.609 --> 00:24:13.440
and what She was doing at the time of her death

00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:16.339
She she was reading a book called the second

00:24:16.339 --> 00:24:18.460
mountain by David Brooks And she was reading

00:24:18.460 --> 00:24:20.920
at a second time and she was underlining sections

00:24:20.920 --> 00:24:24.660
of it. It's called The second mountain forget

00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:27.819
the subtitle of it, but it's it's basically about

00:24:28.269 --> 00:24:31.490
The first mountain being finding success in the

00:24:31.490 --> 00:24:34.089
world, the job you've always wanted or the dream

00:24:34.089 --> 00:24:37.069
of your life coming true, the family you've always

00:24:37.069 --> 00:24:39.890
wanted, the spouse or the house or whatever,

00:24:40.210 --> 00:24:43.029
your worldly dreams are all kind of coming into

00:24:43.029 --> 00:24:45.210
place and kind of more or less you've gotten

00:24:45.210 --> 00:24:48.150
to that first mountain. And then the second mountain

00:24:48.150 --> 00:24:52.089
is taking all of your, you know, worldly success

00:24:52.089 --> 00:24:57.970
and accomplishments and then Turning them into

00:24:57.970 --> 00:25:01.069
doing good for others using your gifts and your

00:25:01.069 --> 00:25:03.890
talents and not using them all just for yourself

00:25:03.890 --> 00:25:07.609
but giving back I guess in the sense is to put

00:25:07.609 --> 00:25:11.650
in a simple term and so she was she was reading

00:25:11.650 --> 00:25:16.289
this book about the second mountain and. She

00:25:16.289 --> 00:25:19.130
was already thinking because she had achieved

00:25:19.130 --> 00:25:23.460
her dreams were coming true she had. reached

00:25:23.460 --> 00:25:26.319
the level of becoming a professional athlete.

00:25:26.980 --> 00:25:30.660
Now, being such a goal setter, she was always

00:25:30.660 --> 00:25:35.000
had to have a new goal. So she had kind of, in

00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:37.339
a sense, met this goal. And now she was like,

00:25:37.460 --> 00:25:40.579
now what's my next goal? So her next goal was

00:25:40.579 --> 00:25:44.839
to use her accomplishments, her platform as a

00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:48.480
successful athlete. And what can she do to help

00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:51.259
others and so she was writing in her journal

00:25:51.259 --> 00:25:54.740
you know some of her ideas like she just wanted

00:25:54.740 --> 00:25:58.579
to get kids on bikes in any form or fashion or

00:25:58.579 --> 00:26:01.019
what was the words you have to go to our website

00:26:01.019 --> 00:26:04.480
to read her words but it was about just making

00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:07.819
a difference in the lives of others. With her

00:26:07.819 --> 00:26:11.019
success that's what she wanted to do. No she

00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:13.240
wanted to get involved in some other organizations

00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:16.519
that would just lift others up and especially

00:26:16.519 --> 00:26:20.599
i think kids in general and women in sports so

00:26:20.599 --> 00:26:22.900
she had some of these goals she had written in

00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:27.240
a journal so we decided that we need to carry

00:26:27.240 --> 00:26:31.299
on her wishes and in order to do that we created

00:26:31.299 --> 00:26:34.160
the nonprofit the maria wilson foundation and

00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:38.079
so are our mission is to. I wish I had it in

00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:39.799
front of my face. I should know it by heart.

00:26:40.299 --> 00:26:43.900
It's basically to promote healthy lifestyles

00:26:43.900 --> 00:26:48.920
and building community and being active and helping

00:26:48.920 --> 00:26:52.420
organizations that do those things. So we've

00:26:52.420 --> 00:26:56.220
accomplished, we achieved that goal in 2024.

00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:59.819
We were able to give to about eight or nine different

00:26:59.819 --> 00:27:03.650
organizations. It is brought us so much joy knowing

00:27:03.650 --> 00:27:07.670
that we are working in conjunction with my spirit

00:27:07.670 --> 00:27:11.589
and her love for others feeling close to her

00:27:11.589 --> 00:27:15.329
in the process and drawing others into that that

00:27:15.329 --> 00:27:18.750
beautiful space. It's it's made a huge difference

00:27:18.750 --> 00:27:22.130
you know and how we're dealing with this and

00:27:22.130 --> 00:27:25.730
i truly believe that and i claimed this the day

00:27:25.730 --> 00:27:28.609
that she died that. That beauty can come out

00:27:28.609 --> 00:27:33.109
of ashes, that good can come out of tragedy.

00:27:33.529 --> 00:27:38.309
When you choose to go that route, it can be incredible

00:27:38.309 --> 00:27:40.869
silver linings. We'll put a link in the show

00:27:40.869 --> 00:27:43.150
notes to the Foundation in case anybody wants

00:27:43.150 --> 00:27:46.529
to get involved. Can you leave us with any other

00:27:46.529 --> 00:27:49.089
message of hope? There's so much I could say

00:27:49.089 --> 00:27:53.309
about that. I think about that line in the poem

00:27:53.309 --> 00:27:56.799
that I read right around when she died. The one

00:27:56.799 --> 00:27:59.059
line that I kept reading over and over is it

00:27:59.059 --> 00:28:02.140
said, when there is life, there is hope. At one

00:28:02.140 --> 00:28:04.740
time that used to be like a common saying, but

00:28:04.740 --> 00:28:08.200
the, the person who wrote this poem said, I see

00:28:08.200 --> 00:28:12.519
it more true in reverse, that when there is hope,

00:28:12.859 --> 00:28:16.140
there's life. And that was what I was, that's

00:28:16.140 --> 00:28:18.839
what I was contemplating on that right around

00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:21.579
the moment of her death, when there was hope,

00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:27.529
there is life. Like that's a beautiful. Picture

00:28:27.529 --> 00:28:31.849
our loved ones are still alive and have hope

00:28:31.849 --> 00:28:38.170
in that they do not stop existing and we will

00:28:38.170 --> 00:28:43.269
see them again and Trust how much God loves them

00:28:43.269 --> 00:28:46.950
and loves you don't give up just don't give up

00:28:46.950 --> 00:28:50.049
and Surrender to the fact that there's so much

00:28:50.049 --> 00:28:53.390
out of our control if you believe that God really

00:28:53.390 --> 00:28:56.660
loves you and he's in control of everything,

00:28:57.099 --> 00:29:00.000
then you don't need to worry and worry and worry

00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:03.200
and be in fear. Perfect love casts out all fear.

00:29:03.779 --> 00:29:06.740
That's a promise that's in God's word. Perfect

00:29:06.740 --> 00:29:09.440
love casts out fear. Another beautiful image

00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:13.619
I have is hope is like a golden cord that connects

00:29:13.619 --> 00:29:17.200
us to heaven. That is where our eternal home

00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:21.680
is. I love how ND ears express and explain how

00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:25.190
they had this feeling of being home. And what

00:29:25.190 --> 00:29:28.549
better feeling is there than feeling so at home?

00:29:29.029 --> 00:29:31.950
And we have so much to look forward to in our

00:29:31.950 --> 00:29:35.269
eternal home with our with our eternal family

00:29:35.269 --> 00:29:39.670
And it's just gonna be so beautiful And it's

00:29:39.670 --> 00:29:43.069
an adventure and just embrace the adventure for

00:29:43.069 --> 00:29:46.930
what it is Perfect. Thank you Karen. You're welcome

00:29:48.930 --> 00:29:51.829
Thanks again for listening and sharing this podcast.

00:29:52.190 --> 00:29:54.509
Don't forget to hit the follow or subscribe button

00:29:54.509 --> 00:29:56.950
and sign up for our newsletter at roundtripdeath

00:29:56.950 --> 00:30:00.430
.com. If you want to share your near -death experience

00:30:00.430 --> 00:30:02.769
or if you have questions or comments about the

00:30:02.769 --> 00:30:05.630
show, send an email to eric at roundtripdeath

00:30:05.630 --> 00:30:08.809
.com. Until then, I wish you everything good

00:30:08.809 --> 00:30:11.109
that you're looking for in this life and the

00:30:11.109 --> 00:30:11.490
next.