Grace in the Grazing
How grief, grace, and deep love became a purpose-filled calling.
On November 12, 2020, our world shattered.
Maddy—our perfect, innocent, radiant daughter—took her last breath, and something inside of me broke in a way I didn’t know was humanly possible. I’ll never forget the sounds that came out of me in that moment. They weren’t even sounds, really. They were soul-level grief—raw, uncontainable, and louder than anything I’ve ever known.
Maddy’s life was a gift, but it was wrapped in pain I’ll never fully understand. She was a child bound by the cruel circumstances of this world, yet she was filled with so much light, so much goodness. After she died, that light felt like it was gone forever. I was consumed by grief—physical, unbearable pain that didn’t leave my body. I was angry with God. So angry. We hadn’t been on speaking terms for years, and after everything, I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to be.
But in my deepest despair—when I had nothing left—I cried out to Him. I begged for help. For weeks, I pleaded through tears in the middle of the night:
Please, show me how to survive this. Show me how to carry this grief.
And then, one night, in the stillness of everything, God spoke. Clearly. Directly. In a voice I’d never heard before, and haven’t heard since.
“You will start a business. You will create charcuterie. You will call it Platters with Purpose. You will use this platform for good. You will fight for other kids with cancer. You will bring people together. You will share Maddy’s story—her faith, her joy, her promise—and you will remind people that she is living her very best life in heaven.”
From that moment, I listened.
A few months later, Platters with Purpose was born—not just as a business, but as a calling. A sacred way to share Maddy’s light with the world. Through every grazing table, every hand-crafted platter, every gathering around the table—we are telling her story. We are honoring her legacy. And we are showing up for other children and families walking through what we walked through.
Since that day, we’ve been so incredibly blessed. Blessed to share in your weddings, birthdays, corporate celebrations, baby showers, memorials, and quiet Tuesday nights. Blessed to witness connection and conversation over beautiful food. Blessed to give back to pediatric cancer research in Maddy’s memory.
This business is personal.
Every board we make carries a piece of our heart.
And with every event, every bite, every moment—we are here to set the table and invite you to sit with us.
Thank you for being part of this story.
Thank you for remembering Maddy with us.
And thank you for believing in something deeper.
With so much love,
The Platters with Purpose Family
