What a Year Without Toni Has Taught Us

What a Year Without You Has Taught Me

It’s been a year since we said goodbye to our dear friend Toni, yet somehow, it still feels like she’s just a laugh away. There are moments when her voice echoes in our memories, a burst of laughter, a thoughtful word, a spark of joy that reminds us she’s still here in the quiet corners of our hearts.

Grief is a strange and tender journey. It doesn’t follow rules or calendars.

Some days are filled with peace, while others bring tears that seem to come from nowhere. But through it all, one thing remains constant love never fades. It lingers, it transforms, and it teaches us how to carry someone with us, even when they’re gone.

Toni wasn’t just a friend. She was a light. She noticed people. She cared in ways that left an imprint. She had this gift of knowing when you were struggling, even if you didn’t say a word. She would find a way to make you laugh, even through tears. She believed in faith, kindness, and showing up, not just when it was easy, but when it mattered most.

Losing her changed us. But in that loss, we’ve also found growth. Because love, even when it hurts, has a way of shaping you into someone softer, stronger, and more grateful.

What We’ve Learned From Toni

Friendship is Forever

Toni taught us that friendship isn’t measured by time, it’s measured by love.

It’s the depth of connection, the laughter shared, and the understanding that you don’t need to talk every day to stay close. Even now, her kindness shows up in how we treat others. The way she encouraged people to see the best in themselves has inspired us to do the same.

True friendship doesn’t end. It simply takes on new form. Toni may not be physically here, but her love continues to echo through the people she touched.

Feel What You Feel

Grief can feel like a wave, sometimes calm, sometimes crashing. And that’s okay. We’ve learned to let every emotion come and go without judgment. You can laugh and cry in the same breath. You can miss someone deeply and still find reasons to smile.

Toni would want that. She’d remind us that tears are proof of love, and that feeling is part of healing.

Faith Brings Hope

One of Toni’s greatest strengths was her unshakable faith. She trusted that even when life felt hard, there was still purpose behind the pain. She believed that every challenge could be transformed into growth, and that no loss could erase the good that was shared.

That belief still guides us. Faith doesn’t take the pain away, but it gives it meaning. It teaches us to trust that love continues in ways we can’t always see.

Keeping Her Memory Alive

We keep Toni close in countless little ways. When a song she loved plays on the radio. When someone laughs too loud at a joke that isn’t even that funny. When we write a note and draw a heart over the “i” in her name, the way she used to.

We keep her alive by living the way she did, full of joy, generosity, and sincerity. We check in on people more often. We say “I love you” without hesitation. We forgive faster and hug longer.

Her spirit shows up when we least expect it, in the way we care for our friends, in the confidence we try to build in others, in the kindness that grows from the lessons she left behind.

Even now, she’s teaching us.

Finding Joy Again

After Toni passed, joy felt far away. It was like a light had dimmed and we weren’t sure it would ever shine the same way again. But slowly, joy began to return, not as loud laughter or big celebrations, but in quiet moments.

It came with sunlight through a window.It came with a song that made us smile.It came with the warmth of remembering something funny she once said.

Joy didn’t erase the sadness; it grew alongside it. Because joy and grief can exist together. They’re both born from love.

And through that balance, we learned something beautiful, when you let yourself feel the fullness of your emotions, you honor the people you’ve lost.

You honor yourself too.

Healing Through Connection

When we lose someone special, connection becomes the bridge that keeps us steady. Talking about Toni, sharing memories, and saying her name brings comfort. It reminds us that she mattered and still does.

That’s why community is so powerful. It’s what inspired us at Hey Doll! to create spaces where girls can share, reflect, and grow together. Our monthly self-care box for girls is one of those spaces, a gentle reminder that no one is alone in their journey.

Each box includes treasures that comfort and uplift like journals to write your feelings, bracelets that remind you to stay strong, and self-care items that bring a little light into your day. It’s more than just a subscription. It’s a soft place to land, a way to say, “You’re seen, you’re loved, and you’re supported.”

Because grief is easier to bear when you have a hand to hold, even if it’s from afar.

The Beauty of Reflection

Every time we sit down to think about Toni, we learn something new, not just about her, but about ourselves.

She taught us that slowing down is okay. That small acts of kindness can change a person’s entire day. That laughter can heal.

Reflecting on the people we’ve lost helps us realize how deeply they’ve shaped who we are. It’s a kind of gratitude for the love, for the lessons, and even for the ache that proves they were real.

You can practice this kind of reflection too. Write about someone you miss. Make a playlist of songs that remind you of them. Create a photo collage. Or start one of our confidence-building activities for tweens, like a gratitude journal or letter of love. These little moments of reflection can help your heart heal while keeping their memory alive.

Finding Purpose After Loss

Loss has a way of changing how we see life. It softens us. It reminds us that time is precious.

Toni’s passing taught us to live with intention. To make each day count. To speak kindly and forgive often. To give generously, because love is meant to be shared, not stored.

She also reminded us that healing isn’t about “moving on.” It’s about moving forward, carrying memories like gentle reminders of love.

At Hey Doll!, we believe in turning pain into purpose. Our teen girl empowerment gifts are designed to do exactly that, to help girls find strength in the face of challenges, and hope when life feels heavy. They’re little tokens of encouragement that whisper, “You’re strong enough to get through this.”

Love Lives On

When you lose someone you love, it’s easy to feel like the world has stopped. But love doesn’t end. It shifts. It finds new ways to reach you.

Sometimes it’s through memories. Sometimes it’s through dreams. Sometimes it’s through the people they’ve left behind, who now carry pieces of their heart.

Toni’s love lives on in every act of kindness we do. Every time we lend a hand, comfort a friend, or believe in ourselves, she’s there. Love doesn’t disappear; it just takes new form.

That’s one reason we created Hey Doll!, to be a community that celebrates love in all its forms. Whether you’re giving a curated gift box for 10 to 15 year olds to a friend who needs encouragement or subscribing to the best subscription box for tween girls for yourself, every gesture of care helps keep love alive.

Living With Love

Toni’s biggest lesson was simple but powerful: love deeply, live intentionally, and show up.

Say the kind thing. Do the brave thing. Be there for someone who needs you.

Loving like Toni means showing up for others even when it’s inconvenient. It means forgiving quickly and giving without expecting anything in return. It means noticing when someone feels left out and doing something small to make them feel included.

That kind of love doesn’t just change others, it changes you.

When you live with love, you start to see the world differently. You realize how connected we all are. You learn that the best way to honor someone’s memory is to live in a way that would make them proud.

Turning Pain Into Purpose

Grief can make you feel powerless, but it can also be the spark that helps you create something beautiful.

Maybe you start volunteering at an organization that helps others. Maybe you write, paint, or sing in honor of the person you lost. Maybe you find ways to support friends who are grieving too.

Every act of kindness becomes a thread in the tapestry of their legacy.

At Hey Doll!, that’s what we hope our work does, turns love into action.

Whether it’s through a unique birthday gift idea for teen girls that makes someone smile, or through our ongoing projects that give back to girls in need, everything we do is rooted in love.

Joy and Healing

It’s okay to laugh again. It’s okay to dance, dream, and plan for the future. Laughing doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten; it means you’re healing.

Toni would want that for us to live fully, love freely, and keep spreading kindness.

We still miss her. We always will. But now, when we think of her, it’s with warmth instead of only tears. It’s with gratitude for the light she gave us, and for the love that continues to shine through us.

Because that’s what love does. It never really leaves. It just finds new ways to stay.

Forever in Our Hearts

A year later, we still find Toni in little moments the way the sun sets just right, the laughter of friends, the quiet strength that shows up when we need it most.

We’ve learned that grief and love walk hand in hand. You can miss someone deeply and still find beauty in the world. You can feel loss and gratitude in the same breath.

Toni’s legacy reminds us that every day is a gift. Every relationship is precious. And every act of love carries power.

So we keep going. We keep loving. We keep showing up. Because that’s how we honor her.

Toni, thank you for teaching us how to love bigger, live kinder, and shine brighter.

And to every girl reading this, remember: the best way to honor someone you love is to keep living with courage and compassion. Let your light shine for them. That's what it means to be #HeyDollStrong!