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

Lauren Nixon-Matney • May 4, 2025
Finding Light, Finding Joy: A Letter of Light for Joy Prouty

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

By Lauren Nixon-Matney December 12, 2025
Television Series: Reba Carole King : So Far Away Reba : I'm a Survivor
By Lauren Nixon-Matney December 12, 2025
Dear Danny Go (and Mindy Mango), We weren’t looking for you—but somehow, you found us. It was in the recommended section on Happy Kids TV. Jaxon clicked on it for his sister Maggie, and just like that, something lit up in our living room. The colors, the energy, the fun costumes, the absolute joy of it all—we were hooked. Not just the kids. Jamie and I too. It didn’t take long before Danny Go! wasn’t just something our kids watched—it became something we danced to, sang along with, laughed through. Something that made us all feel lighter. There’s something rare and magical about a show that doesn’t just entertain your kids, but actually pulls you in too. For us, Danny Go! is that magic. Whether it’s “ The Floor is Lava ” or any of the countless jams we’ve rewatched again and again, it’s more than background noise—it’s an invitation. To move, to play, to be present. We’ve turned living rooms into obstacle courses, let loose in the kitchen, and found ourselves grinning and dancing when we thought we were too tired to do anything at all. It’s a way to reset a rough day, a cranky morning, or a bedtime full of wiggles . It’s become a happy place. At first, Danny Go! was just this bright, silly, joyful thing we all loved. But then I started learning more—about you, Daniel and Mindy, about your son Isaac, about the love and resilience at the heart of it all. And suddenly, it wasn’t just fun anymore. It was inspiring. The kind of inspiring that sinks in deep because you recognize something in it. I too know what it means to be moved by your children to do something that matters. In its essence Searching for Stars was born from that same place—wanting to create light because of the light our kids bring us every day. Knowing what Danny Go! came from—knowing the beauty and bravery behind it—just makes every song, every dance, every goofy costume feel even more meaningful. It’s not just a show. It’s a gift. Thank you so very much. For the joy. For the music and movement. For the way you’ve turned your story into something so bright and full of life. Thank you for making something that brings my kids happiness, and for letting that happiness spill over to the rest of us too. You’ve given us more than a show. You’ve given us a reason to dance when we’re tired, to laugh when we need it most, and to remember that play matters—maybe even more than we think. You remind us that joy is a kind of medicine, and that silly, colorful, creative love can be a force for good in the world. From one parent trying to build something inspired by their children to another: thank you for the light you’ve made. You’ve brightened our living room—and our hearts. With love and gratitude, Lauren
By Lauren Nixon-Matney December 12, 2025
Alt J : Breezeblocks
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