Finding Light, Finding Joy: A Letter of Light for Joy Prouty

Lauren Nixon-Matney • May 4, 2025

Dear Joy,


Some people move through this world leaving quiet trails of light, never knowing just how far their glow will reach. You are one of them.


I found your Instagram around 2012, at a time when I was trying to find my way back to myself. Life had left me shaken—grief had settled in places I didn’t know it could reach, and I was rebuilding, piece by piece. In that season of searching, I stumbled across your world—the way you wrote, the way you saw beauty in the imperfect, the way you carried light even in the hardest moments. And somehow, through the small miracle of timing, it reached me when I needed it most.


I remember watching as you and your family traveled, in that adorable camper with the painted flowers, moving from place to place, gathering moments like keepsakes. Your words weren’t just captions beneath images; they were soft lanterns, reminders to be present, to see the story unfolding in the life I was already living. At the time, my husband and I were passing through Texas and Arkansas, and I remember you pausing in Hope—finding hope in Hope. And I felt connected to that, as if we were both moving through similar landscapes, both looking for something unseen but deeply felt.


Over the years, I have watched your journey, and in turn, you have shaped my own. You have inspired me as a mother—to embrace imperfection, to let love and presence be enough. You have reminded me that beauty is not in the flawless moments but in the honest ones. Your photography, your storytelling, the way you have carried on through hardship—it has been a quiet encouragement, a permission slip to create, to feel, to keep moving forward.


I don’t know if you realize how much light you have given. But I want you to know this: You have been a light to me. You have made me a better human. And for that, I am endlessly grateful.


May you always find stars in the darkest skies and feel the same warmth you so freely share.


With love and light,



-Lauren

Finding Light, Finding Joy: A Letter of Light for Joy Prouty

Searching For Stars

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Dear Toren, The internet can be loud, cold, and cruel. But then—every once in a while—someone like you shows up. And suddenly, it feels like stars are breaking through the static. I don’t remember exactly when I found you—but I remember the feeling. A sudden hush in my chest. The way my breath caught on the truth of your presence—your light, real light, the kind that can’t be filtered, pouring through my screen and into my soul. You weren’t performing. You were being. And there is so much power in that. In a world of noise, you and your mom carry something sacred: an unfiltered, unflinching, unstoppable joy-the kind that comes not from pretending to be okay, but from loving yourself exactly as you are and letting that love ripple outward. Watching you… listening to you… I saw pieces of my son. And in your mom, I saw myself. The hopes. The fears. The sacred fire of trying to raise a child with everything you have—and then some. The kind of love that rearranges you from the inside out. The kind that says, “I see you. I hear you. And I’m staying with you.” And while we’re here—can I just say? Your fashion sense is unmatched. Every outfit is a moment. Every accessory, a small act of liberation. You express joy, truth, and color before you’ve even said a word. It’s art. Because of you, I’ve learned more about how to love my children. Because of you, I’ve softened toward myself. Because of you, I’ve started to understand: the things I once labeled as “too much” were never flaws—just parts of my light trying to break free. You’ve reminded me that neurodivergence isn’t a detour. It’s a map. A divine, detailed map to a new kind of wholeness—one where nothing has to be hidden or fixed to be loved. You shine, Toren. You and Serenity Christine are so beautiful—your inner light shines bright beyond the surface. In every sea shanty. In every moment of humor, honesty, hope. In every word Serenity wraps around you like a song. And you remind the rest of us—every day—that being yourself isn’t just enough. It’s everything. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Keep shining. With Love, Lauren Searching for Stars
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