Rory Feek’s life changed forever following the tragic death of his wife, Joey Feek.
After Joey passed from cancer, Rory adjusted to his new situation one day at a time. This includes exploring his new life as a single father to his two-year-old daughter, Indiana.
In an interview with People , Rory revealed how he still leans on Joey’s mothering skills whenever faced with difficult situations.
“I’d like to think that Joey is proud of how I’m doing – how we’re all doing, especially Indiana. She took so much pride in the work of being a mama to Indy, and I find myself thinking of her every day, all day long in the time that Indy and I spend together and the things we do, wondering how she would handle this, or do that.”
“I remember how present Joey was and am trying to be that way too,” he added.
Rory also makes sure that Indiana doesn’t forget her mother by keeping Joey’s memory fresh in her mind.
“We talk about Joey to Indy every day,” Rory stated. “I feel my wife’s presence here all the time.”
Rory hasn’t changed much in the farmhouse he and Joey once shared. The couple accumulated a lot of memories during their 14-year marriage, and the items he keeps in the house serve as a reminder of the happier times.
This includes Joey’s boots that sit against the wall and their wedding picture on his nightstand.
According to Daily Mail , Joey passed away six months ago from cervical cancer.
Joey’s final words had special significance to Rory and their marriage.
“We repeated ‘I love you’ three times to each other,” Rory revealed. “It’s the last line of a song I wrote years ago called ‘Josephine,’ an imaginary love story between a husband and wife.”
Rory and Joey often used those three words, whether it was during a special holiday or before they said goodnight.
Rory and Joey comprised the band Joey + Rory, which, according to People , topped Billboard’s country charts in 2008.
Meanwhile, this is the second time Rory Feek has raised a child by himself. The singer was forced to raise his two other daughters, Heidi (29) and Hopie (27), from a previous marriage.
Indiana was born a few months before doctors diagnosed Joey with cancer.
“When the time came that we realized that Joey was most likely not going to make it through this cancer… one of the hardest things was coming to realize that I was going to be back here again where I was before, but this time raising Indiana,” he shared.
Joey also couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her husband alone in the world for a second time.
“She told me right on the porch out there,” he stated in the interview. “She said, ‘It’s not fair. You’re not supposed to have to do this again.’ I said, ‘But on the other hand, I’m perfect. I already know how.”
Despite the tragic loss, ABC News is reporting that Indiana is helping Rory deal with his wife’s passing .
“Just like she did for Joey, Indy makes me laugh a lot,” Rory explained. “She’s the child we were meant to have.
In addition to keeping his wife’s memory alive and well, Rory is working on publishing a new book, titled This Life I Live . The book is expected to document his wife’s cancer as well as raising Indiana, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome after her birth.
At the same time, a documentary about Joey Feek’s life, To Joey, With Love , is scheduled to open in select theaters on September 20. Check out a preview and a clip from Rory Feek’s Today interview below.
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]