Brave you,
I know you feel lost.
Lost in the emptiness,
In the space where they used to be.
It's silent and hollow and feels like the whole world is trying to reshape around what's missing.
This is because your love for them doesn't just disappear.
Nothing I can share right now will make this easy,
But I want you to try something with me.
Close your eyes and let your arms fold in front of you and wrap your hands around your waist and I want you to see what you can notice after you settle into a few breaths.
Your arms might feel warm,
Maybe a hint of calm,
Nice in a way,
But at the same time it's probably nothing you're used to.
But before you move your arms,
I want you to shift your perspective to compare something.
What if I told you that somehow,
Some way,
This was all part of a plan?
Their plan,
A way to give you one more hug and that in this world,
In this moment,
This is the only way.
How tightly would you hold on?
How long would you stay?
And how much different does this feel?
So when you see the dark,
Heavy clouds in your mind and you can't find connection to how life used to be,
Remember this shift.
The memories will be with you no matter what and the pain you feel,
In a way,
Is a tribute to the love you will always have for them.
And even if you knew you would feel this pain someday,
I know you would do it all again.
Everything you shared,
All the time that you did have,
But the way you can find each other now has shifted.
It's changed from seeing and hearing to sensing and knowing from the heart.
So close your eyes and slowly let your heart open.
Let it open wide so you can make more space for them.
You haven't lost them,
You just carry them with you differently and your heart needs to keep expanding.
You're adapting to being in love with them on a new level,
But the laughter still echoes.
The memories transcend time and your love for each other is undeniable.
You will never stop longing to look into their eyes again because it would light up your world,
But the stars witnessed all that you shared and all that you both felt and as far away as those stars seem,
They will always shine that light back at you if you know where to look.
Their body may be absent today,
But your connection is alive.
Through quiet acts of kindness,
When you feel a hint of a smile and finding the silver lining when you need it most,
You are a continuation of them in this world and you are not only the one who misses,
You are also the one who's remembered and one of the most important things you can carry with you is the knowing that your true love will shine forever.
