07/30/2026
July is Bereaved Parents Month — a place I never imagined my life would lead me. My heart has been broken wide open, and these last four months have been the hardest I’ve ever known. I’m still trying to learn how to live in a world that keeps moving, even though mine stopped the day I lost BrookLynn. Nothing about this journey feels natural or fair, and every step forward feels like learning how to breathe all over again.
Grief has a way of reshaping everything. It changes the way mornings feel, the way silence sounds, the way memories hit you out of nowhere. Some days the weight of it all sits so heavy on my chest that even simple things feel impossible. Other days, I find myself able to breathe a little easier, able to smile at a memory without falling apart. And then there are days that hold every emotion at once — sadness, anger, disbelief, love, longing — all tangled together from sunrise to sunset. Grief doesn’t follow rules. It doesn’t move in straight lines. It shows up whenever it wants, however it wants.
I miss my girl with every part of me. I miss her laugh, her presence, her energy, her future — all the things she should still be here to experience. I miss the way she filled space, the way she made ordinary moments feel brighter just by being in them. I miss her stubbornness, her humor, her spark. I miss the way she could make me roll my eyes and smile in the same breath. Not a single day passes where I don’t wish things were different, where I don’t wish I could hold her, talk to her, or simply sit beside her again. Loving her is easy. Living without her is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
But even in the middle of all this pain, I’ve felt so much love from the people around me. To those of you who continue to pray for me, check on me, and hold me up when I feel like I’m sinking — thank you. Your kindness has carried me through moments I didn’t think I could survive. Your messages, your prayers, your quiet support… they matter more than you know. I truly wouldn’t be where I am without the people who have wrapped their hearts around mine.
“Where there is deep grief, there was deep love.”