I find myself smiling through this season, not because everything is easy, but because there's so much to be thankful for. Gratitude and grief often walk side by side. I see it not only in my own life, but in so many around me who are quietly struggling, Learning how to carry loss while still showing up.
The holidays have a way of reminding us that traditions change. Sometimes because of loss. Sometimes because of growth. Sometimes simply because time moves us into a new chapter. Children grow up. They build lives of their own. They bring little ones into the world, and suddenly the Christmas morning we once held so tightly belong To Memory.
I loved those mornings when my children were all still at home, from wide-eyed little ones to young adults finding their way. I didn't know then if I was doing it right. I only knew I was loving them with intention, raising them with goals, values, And hope. Looking back now, I see the fruit of those years. They are wonderful parents. Successful, Compassionate people. And they still love their Mom. That alone is a unmeasurable gift.
We also carry the loss of their sister. That grief doesn't leave, it changes shape. We are still learning how to live with it, how to honor her, how to keep moving forward together. In this season, we're finding alternative ways to cope, to remember, to breathe, And to love through what is missing.
So I smile, not because the pain is gone, but because love remains. Because gratitude still rises. Because even in seasons of change and loss, there is growth, connection, and quiet strength holding us together.