1,111

There are numbers that hold significance for us as human beings: lucky numbers, birthdays and anniversaries, milestone ages, and so on. From a spiritual or grieving perspective, numbers can carry messages of comfort, hope or connection, particularly when they appear repeatedly. For Jake, his birthdate is 0404, his jersey number is 13, and the clock keeps showing me 11:11 or 1:11. Common interpretations of 11:11 include that a loved one is near, or a reminder to take a moment to pause and reflect on your feelings or thoughts in that moment. Another belief around 11:11 is as a reminder to the person seeing the sign that they are not alone. These moments are symbolic messages rather than random coincidences.  Some may say that looking for signs and interpreting them based on grief and loss is simplistic, or based on fantasy. As a mom who lost her beautiful boy 637 days ago, and has been grappling with the concept of how to live in a world that doesn’t have Jake in it, openness to signs has brought moments of joy, hope and feeling like my son is with me if only for a moment. These are the moments that can carry me through a day where I would have otherwise collapsed.  There are many other ways that signs can come through, but for today I want to just talk about the numbers so that you can understand why I have chosen this theme for Jake’s Force Day 2026. 

Jake was 11 years old when he took his last breath; when my hand over his heart felt it beat for the last time.  Jake died in the 11th month of the year, on November 2, 2024. His leaving has left an immense, soul draining hole in the middle of the lives of all who loved him.  So, when I began thinking about the second annual Jake’s Force Day, the number 1,111 kept returning to my thoughts.  So, as a family, we are asking that you help us continue the legacy of life, kindness, joy and laughter that Jake left behind. My secret hope, as Jake’s mom, is that any act of kindness you complete will also fill up your own hearts. Every smile shared, every helping hand offered, every kind word spoken, and any act of generosity can be a reminder that Jake’s life will continue to change the world. Just as the Force connects us all, kindness has the power to reach far beyond what we can see, and touch hearts in ways that we can never fully  understand. Kindness was something that Jake freely gave, and this project is a way to keep his light shining bright. May the force be with you, always.