Walking Through Tragedy Together — A Story of Sisterhood | Sadie Robertson Huff | Makayla Noble | Myriah Noble

Mikaela, it really is cool seeing you be a beast on social media. Really? Yes, it's so cool. It's so inspiring. I'm like, dang. She, you get it. Sadie, thank you. It's true, and your arms tell the story. You're so strong. I am looking stronger, I feel like. You are, oh, yes. Like, finally. No, the last time I saw you, I was like, your shoulders are so beautiful. Like, you're so strong. It's amazing, so. Oh. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to the World's Good Podcast. Happy Monday. I hope you're having a great start to your week. But per usual, it is about to get so much better. I'm truly so excited for this podcast episode. And I know you guys are going to be, too. Because who we have on is no stranger. We have Mikaela Novel and her sister, Mariah. And I am just absolutely pumped that, one, you're on the podcast, but, two, that you came here to be on the podcast, because it's such a joy to get to see y'all. You're both just sunshine, literally. Thank you. Look, I love you. The sweetest thing ever. Y'all have actually been here, though. Yes. Not your first time in Louisiana. Not our first time. We've been to conference twice. Yeah. So much fun. So happy to be back. Yes. And now, and you did conference, which we actually released as a podcast. Yes. And it reached so many people. So I'm glad you're back. We're going to treat this like they never heard the story, because we have so many new listeners and new faces, and your story is always inspiring. But the reason I wanted to have both of you on here is because I say something all the time. I always say, we're a sister and a friend of those who don't have one. I always introduce podcasts about what's up, sisters and friends. We always say that. And when I think of two people who are the epitome of an example of sisterhood and friendship, y'all came to mind first. And so seriously, I'm inspired by both of you. Every time I've had moments, even when we ran into each other in Atlanta, every time I've gotten to see you, I leave so encouraged by the people that you guys are. And so I know our listeners are going to, too. But this is a blessing. Thank you. OK, let me ask y'all, and we should address first. Your voice is a little gone. So sorry. That's my voice like 48 hours ago. Not going to let it stop me. I feel great. I feel good. That's awesome. Ready to chat. You're amazing. We did pray. We're like, please, little miracle. But hey, power through it, girl. OK. You're so strong. But I am pumped to have this conversation. Did y'all happen to prepare the best piece of advice you've ever been given? We did. Yes. OK, I love it. OK, hit us with the best piece of advice you've ever been given. You want to go first? OK, my piece of advice, I honestly don't remember if someone told it to me or if I heard it at church. But it's something I remind myself of every day. And it's that we weren't put on this earth to be selfish. And we were put on this earth. God created us to serve one another. That's something I remind myself every day, because I am Mikael's caregiver. And there's days that I wake up, and I'm exhausted, or I'm burnt out. And I don't want to go help her get ready for the day or whatever. But I'm just like, I was created to serve others and help Mikaela. And even if I'm having a bad day, I will never understand the hardship that she goes through on the day today. So the least I can do is get up and help her get dressed and send her off on her day or make her a meal or any of those little things. Wow. That's sweetest. So good. It's so cool, because why I love asking this question is most of the time, even though I don't know what's been spoken in people's lives, and it's always a surprise to hear, it's not a surprise because of how they live their life. The best piece of advice that people have been given is the piece of advice that shape them the most. And so when I look at you, the words that come to mind aren't selfless. Caregiver, you are the ultimate. Encourage your uplifter. I mean, I said this to my team. I was like, what I love about how Mariah takes care of Mikaela is that she doesn't just take care of her. You go so above and beyond to make it the best life. Speaking of getting ready for the day, y'all dress so cute. You're always like, it's all her plastic. And it's like, I know you're doing, you know what I mean? And so it's cool to hear that that advice was spoken over you, and it's something that you took, because everybody heard that same piece of advice who was in that church that day, but you took it and believed it and did something with it. And that's awesome. I love it. Mikaela, what about you? I would say that emotions come and go like waves of the ocean. I think that's something I really stick to when I'm having hard days and hard weeks. When I'm like, I don't think I can handle this anymore. And I get really anxious about the future and what that's going to look like. But I try and always go back to that saying, and it's like, these rough days, they're going to come, and they're going to go. And there's going to be so many good days and beautiful days ahead. I just have to ride out this wave, and the next one will come. That's right. That's so good. You know, I have a wave tattoo, because I always say that. You got to ride the wave, because it's true. Like, life does come in waves. And sometimes you are surfing the waves, and sometimes you feel like you are under the wave and cannot catch your breath. But I love this quote. It's by Charles Spurgeon. But it says, I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me into the rock of ages. And it's like so good. So Ella Worship wrote a song about it, but it's been just so helpful for me, because it's like some waves really do throw you into a rock. And when you see, like if you're actually looking at the ocean and you see waves hitting rocks, it's beautiful. But it's also violent. It's like a huge crash. But knowing that rock you're getting slammed into is Jesus. Like the rock of ages is like, OK, that's the only way I can survive. That's the only thing that there's hope in. And you have your hope and your faith. And Billy has just so kept you going. And you've gone through something so hard. And yet you're still sunshine. How is that? How is that the case? You know, like you have a rock of ages. Like so cool. So on that note, for people who don't know your story, do you mind sharing a little bit about just what got you here? Yeah. So back in September of 2021, I was in a freak accident in the backyard of a friend's house. And I became a quadriplegic and an instant breaking my neck and becoming paralyzed from my chest down. And I think when a lot of people, and especially like me, when I heard I was paralyzed, I thought that meant I can't walk. And obviously that's devastating. But I thought that was kind of the extent of it. But for me, in my situation, my fingers and my hands are paralyzed and my biceps and triceps and my core. And because of that, I do have to rely on caregivers. And yeah, I was in the ICU for four weeks, lungs collapse multiple times, went from, you'll no longer ever be able to walk again to my family just wanting me to survive. And I can't imagine what that was like on their end. And I know laying in a hospital bed, you feel so hopeless. But I had this unwavering joy and peace. Because I knew that God would not forsake me. He wouldn't leave me. And I think a lot of people kind of wanted to follow along on my story because they saw what I was dealing with. But I wasn't handling it like I should have. The way that you would expect. Yeah. Yeah. No, I was one of those people. I remember seeing your picture and the captions and the things that you were saying is like, wow, who is this girl? And then of course, stalking your social media and seeing some of the things that you posted beforehand, like, wow, like you can only act like that if you have faith and if you have hope and if you have Jesus. And then also how your family was handling it all. Maria, what was that like for you? Were you all super close at the time? I know you're super close now, but was your relationship the way it is now back then? Yes, we've always been super close. We have a four-year age gap. So I feel like that helped a lot growing up. Like we were close. We kind of had our own friends, did our own thing. We never went to school together, which I think helped a lot. But right before the accident, we were really close. You, I was out of school. You were still in high school, but obviously the accident has brought us so much closer together. Like we were together every single day, even if we don't have to be. But yeah, it's been a blessing, honestly, growing up close because it would have been a lot different if we fought or, I mean, we still get annoyed with each other. Of course, we're together every day. But it's never like fights or like, we'll just take a few minutes and like do our own thing and then come back together. But yeah, I'm very thankful for our relationship. That's awesome. I think it was God like preparing us. Yeah, for sure. You don't realize, obviously, like what God's preparing you for until you look back. And then you're like, whoa, God, like thank you so much for how you were providing all along the way things I didn't even know I needed, but that I was going to need, you know, for these moments. I remember I used to have a, my cousin used to use to make her. She was like leading a girl's diva that I was part of. And she would always say, you got to put tools in your toolbox. And I always thought it was kind of like cheesy, but it's true. Like God, you're putting things in your toolbox that like one day is going to help, you know, fix things. And that's more so for like advice, but even in like relationships, like God puts people in your life that are like going to be so pivotal for the life things that you go through and going through it with someone else is just game changing. Makayla, talk a little bit about who you were before the accident. And I know it's the same person you are today, but some of the things you did, you were a well-known cheerleader. You already kind of had a little bit of a platform, I would say, right? Like you were an influencer, you're an influencer now, but you were then too. Tell me a little bit about what life looked like before. 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It's so important what we let our kids watch these days. I don't think screen time always has to be negative. I think it's what we're showing our kids when they're on the screens. I've actually seen screen time be incredibly positive in our home because we're showing them things that are actually impacting their faith. So visit gomino.com to start your free trial today. Plus you can use the code WO to get your first month free. This is a web-only exclusive offer, so make sure to sign up on the gomino.com website with the code WO to get your first month free. I know you're gonna love it as much as we do. ["Midnight Story of the Moon"] Not the typical childhood. Well, I had a good childhood, but when I was 12 years old, I was on the highest team in the world of cheerleading. And I was on one of the famous teams. So with that came the following and people kind of knowing your name and what's going on in your life. So that was so exciting and obviously the biggest dream of mine. And I became a world champion at the age of 12 on that team with my teammates who were 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 years old. So being teammates with collegiate athletes at such a young age when I was in middle school was, again, not typical, but wonderful and I think matured me in so many different ways. So yeah, I had a following since I was 12 years old and that came with, I didn't really feel pressure of the social media. I enjoyed it. It was cool, but it wasn't something that I really focused on. It was just a part of the cheerleading world. But I was able to accomplish all of the goals in cheerleading that I wanted to. So I think, again, God preparing me in a way for when my accident happened, when I was 16 years old, I didn't expect my cheerleading career to end. Then I expected to obviously go off to college and cheer in college, but I was able to achieve so many things that I wanted to in that sport. So when that season did close, I was able to come to terms with it and be happy because I was able to be so successful in that. That's so cool. I think being back to you at 12 years old, everyone's probably like, how is she, like, what was that like seeing her do that as a 12 year old? It was insane. She would like, my mom would pick her up from school and they would drive to the gym and then she would be done at like 10 o'clock at night, come home, go to bed, wake up, do her homework, like while eating breakfast. Like during that season, we didn't see her that much. And like on Sundays, she would have cheer all day. So like her only day off was Saturdays. And it was a lot. I don't know how she did it. I could not. How did you even, cause did you cheer? No, I did not. No, I'm more into like the art. I'm not into sports. No, McKayla is definitely the athlete of the family, but yeah, it was so like high pressure at the gym and she put a lot of pressure on herself. With that, thankfully our family didn't put that pressure on for her. Cause that would have been a lot, but yeah. How did you even get into cheerleading? I tried all the sports and I fell in love with gymnastics but I only liked the tumbling part. So my mom was like, well, that's cheer. So let me put you in a cheer camp. And I did like one at the high school with all the high school cheerleaders and tried that and just like fell in love with it. But the team that I was on was a co-ed team. So half boys, half girls, and I just, I loved it so much. I loved getting thrown in the air and doing flips and tricks and all the different things. And again, something God was preparing me for is I knew my body so well. In the air, but I just knew my body and my muscle groups so well. So when my accident happened and I became paralyzed and they started trying to re-teach me my new body, I was able to really hone into that athlete mindset and what I knew about my body before. Yeah, it is wild. Like thinking about who you were before. Like you would have never seen this coming and the fact that God placed such a determination in your spirit and like you had such discipline, it's really just knowing what I know of you from following my social media and knowing you in the bit that I do, like you were the most determined, like so disciplined. It's so inspiring. I look at you and I'm like, wow, like you're doing workouts that are so hard. And like it would be hard for anyone and you're in a situation where half your body isn't working the way that you want it to be working the way it's supposed to be working and yet you're still showing up and doing it. Like talking about working out till 10, like you're still doing stuff like that with such determination. So it's really cool to see like that was something that was already placed in you and now it's coming through in a new way now. Talk to us a little bit about that because when you first got the news that you were paralyzed, I think there was some expectations from the doctors that you weren't ever going to be able to, like I just saw you grab your water and give yourself, like I don't even know if the doctors thought you were going to be able to do that. What are some of the things that you've seen the doctors say you wouldn't be able to do and some things that you've been able to accomplish because of one, God, but two, your hard work and discipline? Yeah, I was told I wouldn't be able to ever feed myself again. I can feed myself. And there was just so many things. I was told I'd probably always be in a power chair and I'm obviously sitting here in a manual chair, which is just such a blessing for me. There's just a lot of different things and I think even with working out, there's been so many things that I've able just to be able to strengthen myself that now I can do. One of the biggest things for me is being able to do my makeup by myself. I love it. When you do your makeup on Instagram, I love watching. Thank you. That's like one of those things that it might not seem like a big deal. It may seem kind of silly, but it like genuinely is such a big deal for me because I explain it to other people. It's like when someone else does your makeup or like your hair or whatever, it's amazing, but they're gonna do it different than how you would do it. You have different preferences. And so to be able to teach myself, re-teach myself, how to do it, and it just makes me feel so much more like myself and gave me that little bit of independence. That's not even a second thought for you this morning, putting on makeup, but for me, it was like everything. That's so cool. Gosh, that's so cool. It's so exciting. From a sister and a friend from afar, it's so fun to cheer you on. Thank you. It's so fun to cheer. I mean, we should all cheer each other on. I like to cheer someone on like you who you have every reason to complain, but you celebrate. You could sit here and say the things you can't do, but you're sitting here going, I love doing my makeup. I think celebration goes such a long way. And Philippians 4 says, rejoice and learn always. I say it again, rejoice. And it talks about in the Bible, like when you go through trials, when you go through these things, like have joy, rejoice in your thing, and how could I do that? I love how the message version says that. It says celebrate and the Lord always celebrate. And it talks about like revel in his goodness. And it's like the only way you really can do that is, again, to have hope in him and to choose to rejoice in the things that are good and that you do have, even though that's so hard to do, obviously. So I wanna ask y'all a little bit about like your faith and your journey of faith, because again, it's easy to say these things is harder to live it. How do you like practically and actually have hope in faith when you go through hard things? And what was your faith like before the accident versus where you're at now in that journey? I think my whole thing, and this was the first thing I said to Mariah, I guess after my accident happened, but I said, God's not done with me, like I'll be okay. And I have that tattooed on me. It's like my motto. But it's true, that could have been very, that really could have been the end of my life. There's been a lot of situations and people break their necks and that's it. And I just have so much hope because he woke me up today for a reason and he continues to wake me up. And is this what I would have chosen for my life? No, of course not. But I've lived so much more life and seen God so much clearer than I had ever prior, that I am truly so grateful and like 100% can say, like I wouldn't go back and change it. Cause again, like that's God's will. And I don't have to understand it, you know? I'm not supposed to. Wow. Yeah. That's one of those moments that you kind of just wanna pause because I think a lot of people listen to podcast and you're going about your day, but like if you stop and take that in because so many things happen in people's life and you can't get past what you just said, you can't get past the why, like why did it have to happen, all those things. But the fact that you're just like, I don't understand God's will and I'm not supposed to and that's okay. I think like coming to that place is what positions you to be able to rejoice and positions you to be able to keep moving forward. I love how people say like, I never, what do they say? It's like, I won't move on, but I will move forward. Like I'm not gonna move on. I'm not gonna forget what happened, but I am gonna move forward because I can't live in that space, you know? And so that's like such a huge thing to say. And I know so many people, everybody has a different story. Everybody has a different accident. Everybody has a different thing in their life that was hurtful or hard. Some, you know, you have, you get, you get accidents like this where you're paralyzed. Some people are paralyzed internally, you know, and can't move past things and stay stuck in situations. But to allow yourself to come to the place with the Lord, it's like, I don't understand it. I wouldn't have chosen it, but it's your will and it will be done. That's what Jesus did. Jesus was like begging God, can it be any other way than what it has to be? And God was like, this is the plan. This is the will. And Jesus was like, okay, my spirit is willing, my flesh is weak, help me to get on board. And then he did, you know? And it changed all of our lives eternally, you know, for the hope that we have in heaven. So, so inspiring. Like, I think sometimes I always think about this when pastors are up there and they're like preaching so good and like the church is just silent. And I'm like, everything he's saying is so good and we're just so casually listening. It's like what you just said, I'm like, that was, there was so much depth to that. Like don't let that pass your ears as you're listening. Something I've been thinking about lately is how much the spaces we spend time in really affect us. And I realized I just feel better whenever I actually love being in those spaces. And that's why I've been putting a little more attention into our outdoor space lately. And FastGruingTrees has been such a game changer for that. Cause let me tell you, I do not have a green thumb. They're the largest and most trusted online nursery in the US with thousands of trees and plants and over 2 million happy customers. They have everything from fruit trees to shrubs and even a ton of different house plants so that you can really create a space that fits your life. FastGruingTrees makes it so simple to get the right plants for your vibe and your space. 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That's an additional 20% off, better plants and better growing at fastgruntrees.com. Use the code WOAH at checkout, fastgruntrees.com with the code WOAH. Now it's the perfect time to plant, let's grow together, use WOAH to save today. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply. All right, tell us a little bit about your faith. What was your faith like before accident? Has this changed where you're at now and you're relationship with Jesus? Yes, of course. I feel like I know how to love more like Jesus through this. Like again, like I was talking about the beginning of the podcast, like waking up every day and just serving and like being there for McKayla and the Lord has given me so much strength through that. But McKayla has really just strengthened my faith and just watching her and all of the struggles she goes through on the daily. I don't know anyone else that could do it the way she does. I know I definitely couldn't. So it's so fun to watch her and watch her faith grow and just do it together. So cool. And y'all's mom helps too, right? Yes, yes, yes. Thank y'all. The trio, you three are so awesome. I love y'all so much. Such a blessing. Yes. When you see sisters like y'all, I see it now more than I am a mom. Y'all are just like, what did the mom do? You know, like how did she raise y'all to be such amazing humans, you know? On that note, I'm sure, because there's so many moms listening to this or so many daughters listening to this. We have all ages. But like what are some of the things that your mom has done in y'all's life that you think helped shape the people that you are? A lot of it comes back to like Mariah and I's personalities. Like she said, like she's more artistic. I was more athletic. We just had like different things going for ourselves and we're in different clubs and groups. And so we never felt like we were competing for anything. And I think that's something that can cause a lot of tension and friendships or relationships is, you know, that competition, especially growing up being a girl, you already put enough pressure on yourself. So I think just having that pressure go away and just being able to support one another and what we're doing. It's huge. Just realizing like we're each other's cheerleaders, like we're not each other's competition. I think that is just something that's- That's huge. That's huge. That like you cannot be a sister and a friend when you're competing. You just can't. Like you have to be cheerleading. You have to be championing. And I think the same with me and Bella. Like one thing my mom did with all of us because we're so different. All of us are so different. We look alike, we act so different, but we're all close. But she never, she never compared us. You know, like she never put us up against each other or in competition with one another. Like she's celebrated each of us for who we are. No one felt like their gifting was more special than the other one's gifting, even though their gifting was different, you know? And I do feel like that really served us all well as siblings because our parents like celebrated each of our wins with the same excitement, whether one felt bigger or less. And so it's cool to hear you say, what about you, Mariah? I would agree with that. Our mom like, yeah, never compared us. And she really celebrated our different gifts. Like you were saying, I think that helps so much. Cause sometimes, you know, you're watching your sister be so athletic and it's like, dang it. Like why did I get those jeans? But just seeing my mom celebrate the things that I was doing, like I was in art club and stuff at school. My mom's showing up and my mom is very athletic and can relate to McKay a little more on that. But she still showed up even when she didn't. Like it's not her gift. Yeah. I understand it. Yes, so that was so cool. My mom is like funny cause the other day, Honey is very athletic, just naturally super athletic. And she's really into like cheerleading. She loves gymnastics, anything like that. Haven, first of all, I'll give her some, you know, I'll give her some grace here. She's only two and a half, okay? She's little. She's very little. But she and Honey are almost the same size. And so she tries to keep up with Honey. So she's trying to do cartwheels. She like doesn't even know how to start doing her cartwheel. You know, it's just so funny. And the other day, Honey was out on the trampoline and she's doing these perfect cartwheels and handstands and all the things. And Haven's out there and she's like trying to do tricks but like can't figure it out. And then mom goes, she's so good at puzzles. She is credit. Well, I was like, so cute. You all have our strength. I was like, you are so good at puzzles, Haven. You know, like making sure her gift and got a shout out. So cute. So cute. But yeah, it is important at this age like to go ahead and start doing that. Last night I was reading them a book. It was called Ellie the Elephant. Shout out to Ellie the Elephant. It's my favorite kids book right now. But it's about this elephant. And she wants to be a ballerina. But like elephants are not structured to be a ballerina because their trunks are too chunky and their ears are too floppy. And this whole book's about that. Well, the ballerina that's like the star of the show is I think like a gazelle. You know, it was like the obvious choice for ballerina. But the elephant would come to class and she'd watch this gazelle and she knew she was never gonna be here, but she kept learning. Well, come here comes the showtime and the gazelle can't do it. She can't make the show. Well, Ellie the Elephant is the only one that can go out there and do the dance because elephants strength is that they can remember things. And so the whole thing is none of the other people could do it only at the elephant because her gift was to remember so she could do the ballet. So we read this book last night and I actually asked him, I was like, what do you think like the God-given gift is that you have? What are some of the things? And he was so cute to hear what they were saying because I told you, Ella, their cousin was with me and I in that first started with like, Ella was like, I'm the best ballerina in my class. And it's like, and I'm the best in my gymnastics. And I was like, no, not that. Like what did God give you in your heart? And honey goes, I really like to like love people, you know, when people feel like they got their feelings for it. I like to love them. And Ella was like, and I really like to help people and listen to my mommy. And it was like so cool to just go ahead and start identifying like some of the things you feel that you're really gifted in. And Haven's only two, so they were telling Haven what they were seeing in her. It was so cute. And I was like, man, we need to do that more for each other, you know, for ourselves too. Like what did God give me? Cause you're so used to looking at other people going, I wish I had that, I wish I had, but like, what did he give me? Then when you know what you've been given, you can say, thank you God that you gave her that. And then you gave me this and that when we do things together, we have such a dynamic relationship because I'm different than her, you know, like you get to celebrate it more when you know who you are. And I think that's why when Jesus says like, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind strength, that that's first and love your neighbor as yourself. It is important that you love yourself and that you know yourself so that you can also love other people. And so anyway, it's not to get on a tangent on that, but it's just true and you guys model that out so well. Let's go girlhood for a second. Get ready with me. Okay. Like I said, you'll dress so cute. You do your own makeup, but you obviously help her get dressed. What does a day in the life look like when you all wake up? What is a typical day for Mikaela and Mariah look like? I feel like you should take this one. Okay. I typically wake up like 30 minutes or an hour before Mikaela, just to give myself a little time to prep for the day and just have like a moment to myself. I am very introverted. So I love being with Mikaela, but sometimes I just need to wake up and like have a moment to myself. Real. Yeah. That's good to even admit and to know. Well, I'm sure as a mother too. Oh yeah. You just need a second. You need a second. Yes. That's a real thing. I was so like not an early riser, never been. This is not naturally me, but when you become a mom, you realize like that's you have to, if that's if you're going to get a moment or you gotta stay up later, you know, but like if you're going to get a second to breathe, so that's just real. Yes. So then I'll go down stairs and I normally wake Mac up and give her a second. She'll just wake up for the day and have a moment to herself. And I'll go make us coffee, make us breakfast. And then Mikaela, it takes her about like an hour from waking up to like being ready to like be going for the day. She has to do a lot of medical stuff, take her medicine, let that hit, all of that stuff. And then now she like gets ready by herself. Really? Well, okay, not like dressing like, yeah, I'll give her a dress. Yeah. She does her skincare. I can do that by herself. It's amazing. My makeup, by myself, if I wear makeup that day. Just the little things. But yeah, it's definitely a collaboration. It's cool. In the morning, every morning, it just depends. Sometimes both Mariah and our mom is in and out of the room, you know, tag teaming things, but it's just, it's such a blessing because they make me feel so normal. And I'm just, it's wonderful that it's my people and I'm not having to rely on like nurses or different people to come in and how it's not strangers. It's people that make me feel so comfortable. And so it's just nice and it's huge. They give up so much of their morning and their day just to help me and make me feel good about myself. And it definitely doesn't go without you. I try and say thank you as much as I can and like truly show my appreciation because I'll never understand what it's like to be in their position and they'll never understand what it's like to be in my position. But I think, you know, just the gratitude and what I can do to help them is just as important as what they can do to help me. That's so good. Was it hard? Like this is a personal question, but was it hard to let yourself be served in that way? Yeah. It was extremely hard. I think one thing I like prided myself on was my independence. I loved being alone and being able to do things by myself. And so when my accident happened and literally everything was taken away in an instant and not being able to use the restroom by myself and, you know, laying in a hospital bed and having to do all these things with like having other people have to do all these things for me. It was like, it was a hit to, you know, kind of self-esteem and the ego, the human ego. It was hard. It definitely changed my perspective on a lot of things. And I think in the beginning I wanted to like resist and like, no, I can do it. Like I can do it, but I know I couldn't have done it. And so I think it's changed my perspective on, I guess I used to see like needing help or like showing vulnerability as like a weakness and like just kind of negative. I thought negatively towards those things, but now I think it's beautiful. And it's like to be able to open up and be like, I am struggling today. Like I'm not okay. I need help with this or whatever is going on. I think that shows true strength. And I guess I see people differently now because of that. It's good. I don't think I would have been able to understand that if I hadn't have gone through what I go through. Yeah, no, totally. I feel that because people offer to help and I'm like, no, I'm good. And like the reality is I'm not like actually would love your help, you know what I mean? Like I've had to learn for me, like three kids did it for me where I have to ask for help. Like I'm like, which I've always had help. I'm not saying I didn't have help before. I've always had help, but I put on more like I'm doing it. I got it. I'm strong, you know, we're handling it. Whereas now I'm not like that. I'm quick to be like, we need help. Someone help, you know, this has been really hard or this stage is whatever. Christian and I said three kids pushed us to really like show where we're really at and who we really are. Like we ended up after just having kit, our marriage was struggling more because it was just like so much happening. And we used to feel like we could hide that. Like we could have an argument and show up and then like put on a face and be like, we're fine. And now we're like, nope. Like we were like, here we are. Which was like very humbling, you know? Cause it's like, you know, you want to be fine. You want to just be able to handle it and do it. But again, like that's, that's you miss so much of like the beauty of experiencing grace, the beauty of experiencing love, the beauty of experiencing God's love when you don't allow yourself to be helped by the body of Christ or even like receive the grace of God from him alone. And so that's something we've seen a lot this year is like, no, let people in, let people help, let people speak into your life. So obviously like a different context, but it's so true. Like we've experienced the beauty of being helped and the beauty of like grace and strength and love and servant-heartedness. And it's just been like really cool for us. What was that like for you? Like one thing I would love to hear y'all talk about because I think the world right now is very like culturally trendy to have boundaries, you know? And I'm not saying, there is definitely a time and a place for boundaries. Yes, 100% in relationships that are toxic and abusive, you have to have boundaries. But I do think we set up so many boundaries that it's actually prohibiting us from being in good deep relationships with people. I think people set up boundaries to avoid the mess and to avoid the vulnerability. But actually like the vulnerability in the mess is sometimes where the beauty of relationships happen. What have you seen from those boundaries having to just be broken because you do have to help each other in everything? Yeah, boundaries are honestly something we've struggled with since the accident, especially like with me and my mom because we kind of, we went from having a mother-daughter relationship to co-parenting together. So it's something like we still struggle with. There's times that like I step in and help McKayla with something and my mom was like, oh, that was probably like something I should have done as a mom or there's moments that I'm like, oh, you should be the mom right now. And she's like, no, like you got to help me. So those things, like that's been kind of a hard dynamic and we're still trying to figure it out on the daily. But yeah, McKayla and I, like I said, have always been super close. So it just kind of worked. Like in the hospital, there wasn't really anything that was off limits. Some things like you have to bathe. Like I have to help McKayla take a shower and like that's, we would have never, like we could share a bathroom but like, hello, I'm making. Like if McKayla was taking a shower, I would have left the room. We were always just had boundaries in that way and those are gone. I've been there in the shower with Mack, she's in her shower chair, I'm helping her. She's shaving my legs. She's gotta do what she has to do. She's washing her hair. That's a real sister and a friend. It was and again, I think it strengthened our relationship so much because it, we didn't get eased into it. It was literally like, okay, this is happening. Here you are. And so I remember like the first time like her giving me a shower and it's just like. I remember the first few times. Of course. And like, again, like I can't pee by myself. So like for me to pee, like I have to use a catheter and Mariah has to do that. She's my hands, like her and my mom are my hands. So we got to know each other a lot closer, a lot faster than most sisters ever will but it really has been beautiful. And again, they never make me feel awkward. They never make me feel uncomfortable. In the beginning it was just weird. Like that's not something that's normal. And it wasn't normal for us. So it was just weird. But we got used to it. And again, they just made me feel comfortable. And again, I think it is okay to need help. Like whether you truly genuinely need it or you just need a break and like, I can't have people help you. It's okay to need help. And again, like a lot of people's God-given gifts is they want to help. Yep, it's a strength. Yeah, it's so good. It's cool to hear you I'll say because I think that again, like there are times where boundaries are 100% needed. And I think you and your mom are doing a great job at just communicating that because that's where boundaries are formed in the best places when you have an open communication for like what works in y'all's dynamic. Cause what works in my mother-daughter relationship with my mom is going to be different than y'all's because of what y'all's life looks like and what our life looks like. But then there are also relationships where it's like the sister thing where it's like all boundaries had to go. But yet you see such a beautiful relationship that's been formed, you know? And so, you know, for y'all, it looks different than it's what it's gonna look for other people. But I think it's such a message in like, hey, like don't fear so much the mess that you don't open yourself up to what the relationship really could be. Like when you allow yourself to be seen and be known, that is where sisters and friends like thrive. And the reason we say sister and friend so much is because it's different to be a sister than it is to be a friend. To be a friend is a beautiful thing. You probably have so many amazing friends, but it would be very awkward if they were helping you with the shower. It's not as much, it was still awkward with your sister, but it's not as much because she's your sister. There's a level of trust there and relationship there. Like for me and my sister, I know whatever we go through at the end of the day, like she's there for me. She believes the best for me, wants the best for me. She's gonna be there forever. Like, you know, because we're family, we've been through so much, we know each other on a level that's, you know, not like other people. And I think with your sister, you don't overthink things with your sister like you do with your friends. You don't second guess how you said something. You don't care if you look terrible or if you acted terrible. You're like, sorry, move on. With your friend, it's like, sorry, that was so awkward. Oh my gosh, you're gonna think about it a month later. With your sister, it's like, we moved past it. And so I think like, not everybody has a sister, but if you can be one for someone, that's amazing. It's bringing that friendship to the next level of going, like, hey, I want you to feel normal to be completely yourself in this situation. And I'm gonna get down on your level with you and I'm not gonna judge you at all. And I'm not gonna, I'm gonna choose to always believe the best and not overthink. Like that's such a blessing to give someone the gift of sisterhood. And I think it's like sometimes a lost art, you know? I think we think we nailed sisterhood because we have like sorority, sister life. But like, that doesn't always equate to real sisterhood, you know? There's a lot of things within that culture that are actually counter to what it really means to be a sister and a friend. I just, I've heard so many stories. There's great things about them, but there's some really hard stuff about it that does not represent, you know, the beauty of it. And I just love how y'all walk it out so stunningly. You know, there's so many people listening to this that I know are gonna be deeply encouraged. Makayla, you're someone that not only, like we talked about hope, we talked about staying positive and whatnot, but as the years go on, like what stuff that like keeps you excited? What are the goals that you're working towards now that you're waking up in the morning and like getting after? Cause I know you're a determined girl, I know you always have goals. Like what's something right now that's pushing you to keep waking up with joy? Why go small when you can go grand? Meet the new Voxel Grandland Griffin, striking alloys, sleek black roof, heated front seats and 10 inch touchscreen. Everything you need for life on the move. Grand on style, grand on tech, grand on value. And during the Voxel sales event, get a grand of the new Grandland Griffin or any other new Voxel on top of all other offers. Search Voxel car offers. Offer to private individuals, 1,000 pounds including the AT saving on new car orders between 15 to 31st of May. Must be registered by 30 June, 2026 18 plus season C supply. That's a great question. I feel like I, this is kind of counterintuitive, but I feel like I never want to waste my potential. And so I wake up with that in the morning, like I know I have potential in all different fields, whatever it may be. And I want to live that out because, you know, when I, when I pass away one day and I'm talking to God, I don't want him to feel like you could have done more with this. Like I want to do as much as I can with what I have. And it's interesting because I, when people ask me like, you know, what's your five year plan? What's stuff like that? I just give them the straight up answer. Like, I don't know, like gotta figure it out. God's got it. And I think, you know, in our society, it's like you need to have everything planned out and you need to have everything mapped out. And I just, I look back on the past and what I had planned out for my future before my accident and I wasted so many good memories and moments worried about what was next. But God took me through every single one of those moments and prepared me for the following months. And so I've just like gotten to a point and I just, I really am like so deeply rooted in God that I'm like, I'm not going to worry about the future. Because it doesn't matter how much I plan. Like it's never going to happen exactly as I plan it. So I'm not going to worry about that. So I really am just like trying to push myself and try new things that I wouldn't have done prior. It's awesome. I'm getting to the point where I'm no longer afraid to fail and be bad at being a newbie. So I'm just trying new things. I'm still working out, still working on getting as much independence as possible, but like genuinely leaving majority of it in God's hands because I don't want to handle. I handle all that. Yeah, no, it's okay. Nor could you. And that's so true. We obsess over the future. And then so often the future does not plan out how we thought it was going to go. And then you worry so much about things that don't happen. And it's so true. Like that song, it's passion, everything I need. I know my father has it. Every single time the Lord will provide. It's so real and it's so true. One thing I've been noticing even feeding kit, like this is my first time to fully breastfeed. And it's been just amazing because your body is crazy. The way God designed it is so crazy. But it's like every time she needs food, my body has it to provide for it. I'm like, what? That is so cool. And it's such a picture of like God. Cause like that's how he made us to every time your child needs you, like you're able to provide for them. And there's a verse actually, I never noticed it until I became a breastfeeding mother, but it says David is from David. He says, I learned to trust you God at my mother's breast. And you would pass over it if you didn't think about what that means. And he's saying every time as an infant, when I would need food, my mother provided and I learned to trust you God in that stage of my life. Like he establishes how we trust him at the earliest stage of our life, showing us when you cry, when you're hungry, when your need is met, your mother is able to provide. And it's like, that's the coolest thing ever. And so as I've been feeding kit, I just think like, God, this is what you do for me. Like this is who you are for me. Like this is the coolest thing ever. And so to that point of like, don't worry about the future because when the future comes, the Lord will provide. Yes, take steps towards it. Like you wake up every day and you're doing these to prepare you for your future, but you're not planning in such a way that you're worried and stressed about it. I love how Proverbs says that man can't make its plans, but it's the Lord that establishes their steps. We can plan all day long, but the Lord's gonna establish what we step into. And I love how you live that out so beautifully. Mariah, you guys crush it on social media. It's something that y'all are very good at. I love seeing your posts. I love seeing what y'all are up to, what you're wearing, the makeup you're doing, the new tricks you're trying. What did you do recently with like, was it something in the snow? Oh goodness. Oh, I went skiing. Yes, okay. So much fun. Like you're always doing something so adventurous and it's like so cool. What are y'all's social media plans? Like how do you approach social media and what do you want your influence on there to be? We love just showing like our day to day life. I feel like I have a little series that I show and it's like being a caregiver for the day. And I think it's so unique and different and people love watching it and seeing like, all of the work it actually takes to get out of the house in the morning. So just to be as authentic as possible. And we love to show our outfits and our makeup and all that stuff, but also showing like the real day to day life. Like it's not just glamorous, like boom, we're here in a cute dress and have our makeup and we're ready for the day. No, it took hours of work to get to that point. So I love just showing that. It's cool. Yeah, I like that. I like it. I like it. It's also stunning by the way. It's true, literally so stunning. It's insane. I'm sitting here thinking, do y'all, are y'all models? Are you signed? Because you should be. And I genuinely mean that. Are y'all actually signed? Because you need to be. We love to model. You should be. I think for me, like my focus on social media is to continue to be as authentic as possible because again, like that's what I made a promise to myself to do. And again, I think that's the reason when my accident happened, how I told my mom, take a picture of me in this ambulance, like I'm in so much pain right now, but I'm gonna want this photo. And that's why we created the fight page, you know, from day one is because I knew I wasn't okay physically, but I was also not okay mentally. And I wanted to share that with people. I felt like when people saw that my body was broken, I could also share that I was broken and hurting inside. And so I want to continue just being real and raw and authentic and sharing the highs because there's a lot of them, but sharing the lows because there's a lot of them as well. And just, yeah, I think live my life to the fullest and you just uplift others as much as I can. You do it well. You're an influencer worth following. You really are. I mean, it's true. And for anyone listening who needs a model, I have two for you right here. I do want to ask you though, unlike just the idea of like since being in a wheelchair, what does it mean to you when you do see that model? Like literally in children's books, when you see the wheelchair, like are you, I feel like you're pretty passionate about that. I am extremely passionate about that. And again, like before I was, you know, very represented well in the media, you know, just a blonde, you know, white girl. And now like anytime I see an amputee or someone in a wheelchair, someone using walking sticks or all different things, like I just see it with such a different pair of eyes. And I get so excited. I, that is something that like I want to do is like work with companies and just show like the adaptive tools and things that they have out there. And again, I love clothes and things like that. But anytime I see people in wheelchairs or any representation like that in the media, it makes me so happy. And I was never like an emotional person before, but you like bringing that up, I was like, oh my gosh, why am I gonna cry? It's just, it's so sweet. And I know that little kids out there, it means so much to them. So it makes me really happy to see representation more and more in the media. And I hope to be a part of that because I think that'd be so cool. Like one of my favorite things is wheelchair Barbie. And I have her on my desk. I need to get her. I need to get you three of them. So now I'm gonna cross-fli it over them. I'll get you three wheelchair Barbies. That's amazing. Because, and again, I know that's silly, but it's not silly. And then my cute. She's beautiful. Like she's so pretty. Oh, sorry. She's so pretty and she's gorgeous. And I love that. I just love it. I love it. You are a wheelchair Barbie actually, like in the flesh. You literally are. You're the best inspiration for anybody, but especially those who see themselves in you because I think that you are so stunning and you do care about your outfit and your makeup in a beautiful way. Like you present yourself so lovely. And so for anyone to look at you, they would of course say, I wanna be like her. I wanna own it like that. I don't wanna miss the opportunity that God's given me to do all that I can with what I have. And so like that sounds right. I definitely want wheelchair Barbie for my girls. I'll get you those. That is the coolest thing ever. You guys are amazing. You're better than you even think you are. You know, you always meet people that you fall on social media and you hope they're a certain way. It's so much better when you go. They're even better. They're just amazing. And so thank you for being the lights that you are in the world. Thank you for the sisterhood you have. And thank you for sharing it with us. I've learned so much. I always do and I always live so encouraged and just inspire by y'all. So thanks for coming on the podcast. Thank you. We love you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Watch you for a year. So this is crazy being here. Really crazy.