One Year Later - A Year Without My Father

 A year. 💛

It’s been a year

Since my world shifted.

A year since I last lived in a world
where my father was just a phone call away.

And somehow…
I’m still here.

Not unchanged.
Not untouched.
But still standing.

I’ve learned that grief doesn’t disappear.
It softens, it stretches, it settles into the quiet places.

I’ve learned that love doesn’t end
It just finds new ways to live inside of me.

There were days I didn’t think I’d get through.
Days I moved slowly.
Days I didn’t move at all.

But I made it.

And today, I honor him
not just in my tears,
but in my living.

The very last thing that I wanted to do today was leave the house but I did. I went and voted and I thought about my father. He would have voted earlier in the day and watched the news all day listening for the results.

That was one thing that I did today to honor him. I tried to be productive around the house. I spent today trying to do normal things. Realizing at the same time that things aren't normal anymore.