Losing a loved one like our Joshua is life’s hardest journey to walk. It’s been four years today losing our unparalleled son and there are days the grieving journey seems like we are making it through and days we’re not…and it’s all normal.
While we will never forget, never get over, and never move on; life does force us to move forward. It’s then as we put one foot in front of the other, that our loved ones like Josh, go with us. They are with us in everything we do. Their heart and life shape us into who we become.
Joshua’s life is all wrapped up now in moments of memories…memories I can look back upon and keep them stored forever in my heart. But for me, not only do I look back upon them…I also move forward with all of them. Josh’s deep heart of love and his life lived all go forward with me. I speak about Josh in the present tense because he is forever very present with me and he is very much alive…just not here on earth with us.
Because of my Joshua, Joshie Pies exists. He moves forward with me in every single person that gets touched because of his love, his heart, his life, and his earth death. Because of him, I have become molded into the person that other grieving parents can connect with. Because of him, I am making the kind of heart connections that gives all of us hope and encouragement…showing them and myself that tomorrow can be better than today, and that through whatever life storm, trauma, or tragedy we are all going through, that we’re all going to be okay and that together we can make it.
We never forget our loved ones as we move forward because they go with us in all we say and do, and how we live. They are forever woven into the fiber of our being. And they are forever woven and connected into our new fibers as we become the new version of ourselves from their beautiful life lived.
We are four years longing to hug him, kiss him, talk to him, hear his contagious laughter, and smell his scent.
We are four years wondering how many Bible heroes he’s met and has already heard their amazing and intriguing stories.
We are four years keeping his love and spirit alive; and keeping our hearts open to love because of his deep love.
We are four years not understanding any of this still, but always trying to walk by faith and trust Gods hand in all this.
We are four years missing him beyond words and closer to seeing our precious son.