Emily is on vacation this week enjoying some time with family. I love this post from her titled Grief Is, a poem Emily wrote near the first anniversary of Tony’s death. ~ Mary Moore Hughes
Grief Is…
When the sound of someone’s laugh can make you smile and cry.
The heaviness your heart holds on the hardest days.
Waking up with tears in your eyes for the love lost.
Drifting to sleep, begging for them to show up in your dreams.
Hugging an urn when no one is watching.
Finding a way to smile through the holidays and birthdays for your children.
Forgiving the unimaginable because love is stronger than anger.
Keeping that one beer in the fridge where he left it.
Feelings of profound loss watching other dads play with their children.
Staying up too late to avoid going to bed alone.
Sending yourself flowers on Valentine’s Day.
Spending holidays on vacation to avoid the emptiness of home.
The expressions of love that can never be shown in the physical form again.
All encompassing. The sand that fills every nook and cranny of your life.
Besides Tony, over the last year I have lost hair and weight, friends, our future plans, and innocence to true grief. I have also built stronger friendships, a sense of community and this, a place to find my voice and express myself through the written word.
As I enter year two, I will continue to do my best to live my mantra.
Stay Strong, Be Brave. Love Hard.
