Manda'z Memories
Our Story
Manda’z Memories is a family-owned business that was created in memory of Manda by me… Manda’s Mom.
Who is Manda???
Aymayndia Allisa (pronounced Amanda) is my daughter. She preferred to be called Manda or Mandy because Aymayndia usually meant she was in some sort of trouble!
Manda was 23 years old when she passed away… She was the passenger in a vehicle driven by a drunk driver in November 2011. I was lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving with her; I even got to speak to her by phone the following day… Later that night, everything in my life went dark… Manda died instantly! There were no good-byes, no last words, nothing. It was the most horrific day of my life, and it changed me forever…
Manda was the light of my life, she was my only biological child, and she filled my heart with so much love. She was beautiful inside and out, and she had a smile that could light up the darkest room. Her laugh was positively contagious, and her personality was like no other. She had the ability to make anyone crack up laughing in minutes. She was simply one of a kind… I can’t find the words to express how sad and lost I am, even now, almost 7 years later. I just miss her so…
After Mandy passed away my life changed in every way possible. I lost sight of myself, and it was difficult to move through the days. Things that mattered were simply lost, I struggled with the most effortless tasks, I was just heartbroken… My husband and I were foster parents, and we had guardianships of other children. I tried to be the best parent I could to all of them, although I was told I failed miserably… My own mother was also ill, and required much care. Eight days after Manda’s funeral my mother was put on life support. It wasn’t easy navigating my way through those days, months, and years that followed. But I did my best. I wanted to make my daughter proud of me from up there in the heavens.
I engaged our family to do all we could to keep “Manda’z Memories” alive. We shared stories, photos, and relived every memory we could think of every day. It was our way of keeping Mandy alive in our hearts and minds. It was our comfort, our way of knowing she was with us always…
Almost three years after losing Mandy, my mom passed away. I knew Mandy was no longer alone… She now had her “Mommo” (grandmother) to take care of her in heaven. I felt envious that neither of them was here with me, but I felt much comfort knowing that they had each other.
As the years passed, I found myself trying to focus on getting some sort of normalcy back in my life. But still I felt a need to do this with Mandy as the center of my world, something that involved or included her in some way.
Mandy had two goals in her life… she loved to write, and she always dreamed of having her name up in lights. I always envisioned that as those giant marques you see at some grand premiere. She also wanted a name plate on her desk. These dreams of hers preoccupied all my thoughts. I wanted to honor her dreams in some way but I could never figure out quite how to do it. All I knew was that it was important to me, and it became my goal as well. While I struggled to achieve her goal, I also had my own dreams… owning something of my own. Imagine I could have my own business and incorporate Mandy’s dreams into that as well… Was it even possible?
Idea after idea swirled through my brain. After crafting some personalized photo candles for my family at Christmas a successful business owner friend of mine said “you should sell them!” I laughed it off, but the idea never left my mind. After a few weeks of mindful planning, I finally figured out how I could do it! But the icing on the cake was that it involved photos and memories of loved ones lost, and loved one’s present. It was perfect!!
Let me tell you, I drove my family crazy!! I bounced thought after thought, idea after idea off of my closest circle. I KNOW I drove them nuts! But they stood by me, and helped me stay grounded as each new idea was formed. It came so easy to include my Mandy in every plan I made. Even picking a name for my business was meant to be. Mandy would add “Z’s” to everything! “Manda’z Memories” was simply perfect!!! Many people have asked why I didn’t put the “Z” on the word memories, but I chose the put the “Z” on just her name to emphasize her.
As I come closer to my launch date, I now see my goal so clearly … I want to give others a way to cherish their loved ones through keepsake photos. Capture and preserve moments with every photo. It’s my hope and dream that allowing me to preserve your memories will mean as much to you as my photos mean to me!
I hope my sunshine is up there proud of her “Mother”