There are some losses that simply take your breath away.
I haven’t said much publicly these past few weeks about this loss. But it has affected me more deeply than I can even explain. There have been tears cried over it every single day. I adore this family. I adore my friend. And when someone you love is shattered, a piece of you feels it too.
Today I sat across from my best friend, Debbie. We held hands. We cried. We talked. We cried some more. And there are just no words big enough for the loss of a child. How do you fathom that kind of grief? How do you breathe through something so sudden and tragic?
Grief is such a complex thing. It comes in waves. It sits heavy. It surprises you. It is love with nowhere to go.
And yet in the middle of it, I have watched something sacred.
I have watched my friend choose to keep breathing.
Choose to keep loving.
Choose to trust God even when nothing makes sense.
That is strength.
Not pretending.
Not performing.
Not tying it up with a bow.
Just showing up in the brokenness and letting God meet you there.
Scripture tells us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. I have clung to that promise. Close does not mean distant. It does not mean unaware. It means right there in the tears. Right there in the questions. Right there in the silence.
Debbie is one of the strongest people I know. Not because she is untouched by grief. But because she is walking straight through it with honesty, with courage, and with a heart that still loves fiercely.
Debbie, I love you. I admire you. I am praying for you. And I believe with all my heart that even in this valley, God is holding you tighter than we can see.
We will keep holding you and the entire family up. One breath at a time.
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