Inaptihty

Lauren mattered. I’ll start by posting a picture of her to always show that she mattered.

💜HC

💔🩵🤍
Some people imagine that years after a child dies, life simply resumes. That the parent is sad now and then, thinks of their child occasionally, but has largely moved on — back to a life full of joy and happiness.

The truth is often very different.

Many bereaved parents think of their child every single day. Grief doesn’t fade neatly into the background. It can still arrive in waves strong enough to knock the breath out of them. There are still tears. Still heartbreak, still moments that hurt in ways that words can’t begin to explain.

Life doesn’t return to what it once was. It changes forever. The day their child died, something shifted that can’t be undone. What remains are memories, treasured possessions that sit quietly, a bedroom left untouched, an empty chair at the table — sometimes avoided because looking at it hurts too much.

Siblings are changed too. Families are reshaped. The loss sends ripples far beyond one moment, spreading wide and lasting for many, many years.

And yet, within all of this, there can still be meaning, connection, moments of peace and happiness — not because the grief is gone, but because love never left.

Words by TCFV
Art: Pinterest

I can’t say I loved you. I just can’t

Because it makes it sound as if my love is past tense. Gone, finished, ended.

And that is so far from the truth.

My love is not in the past. It will never be gone.

I love you now. Still.

You didn’t take all this love away with you. It stays. It lingers.

Some days it jumps up and hits me in the face just to remind me that it is still here. Still persevering.

Some days it nudges me. Challenges me to keep going. Daring me to find the strength to get through the day.

But mostly, it just resonates inside of me with everything I do. With every step forward and every glance back. Every close of my eyes. Every breath.

My love is not dependent on you being here.

There is nowhere far enough,
and nothing permanent enough
to stop me from loving you.

So I will not say I loved you.

Because I love you.

Still.

✍️ Becky Hemsley Poetry
🎨 Lori Maloy