My life has been split in two. There is life “before.” The time when you were here on earth, and we were together. And then there is life “after.” A life where I am here, and you are “there.”
Ten years have passed since that life-changing day. August 30th, 2014. Ten years since I last heard your voice. Felt your touch. Saw your smile. Time has marched on relentlessly. But, for me, it sometimes feels like it all happened just yesterday. The memories keep you alive. The pictures keep you here with me. In them, you stay the same. Frozen in time. Forever youthful. Forever vibrant. Meanwhile, I age, growing older and wiser, with each passing year testing my strength, courage, and resilience in ways I never could have imagined.
It’s never easy. It’s just different. I have learned to navigate this world without you, but the ache of your absence remains a constant companion. I find myself often thinking about the moments you’ve missed. The milestones. The celebrations. The quiet, everyday joys. These moments were meant to be shared. They should have been ours.
Yet, amid the sadness and longing, I recognize the blessings that continue to flourish in my life. There are so many beautiful things. So much love and growth. But even these are tinged with the bittersweet knowledge that you should be here, too, sharing in these moments, creating new memories with me.
I remember every detail of that day as if it were etched into my soul. The day that changed our lives forever. We never parted ways without a hug and an “I love you.” Little did I know those would be the last words I’d ever hear from you. I am grateful that they were the best words. The last words. The words that I have carried with me every day since.
Ten years. 120 months. 43,800 days. 2,628,000 minutes. 157,680,000 seconds. A lifetime and an instant. Forever and yesterday. All in one breath.
Your presence is still felt in every corner of my life. In every beat of my heart. Time moves forward, but some moments are eternal. Your memory is one of them. I continue to live. To love. To grow. All the while holding you close, knowing that while you may not be here in the way I wish, you are never truly gone.
Here’s to another year of remembering you. Of living fully. Of cherishing every moment. And of holding on to the love that will never fade.