Two weeks

In exactly fourteen days, it will be three years since DT made his transition.

If you had told me back then that I’d be standing where I am today, I’m not sure I would have believed you. In the past, July has been a trigger month for me. As the days ticked closer to the anniversary, my mind would automatically start dragging me backward. I’d find myself endlessly reminiscing, replaying the hospital rooms, the conversations, and every heavy moment that led up to DT taking his last breath. It was a loop of grief that felt impossible to break.

But this year, the script has completely flipped.

Instead of sitting in a quiet house counting down the days in my head, my living room is filled with bags, sneakers, and a whole lot of noise. My grandkids just took their very first flight to come stay with me for the next two weeks.

Having them here has brought a burst of life and laughter into this house that feels incredibly sacred. Watching them run around constantly sparks memories of the days when my own kids were this age. It’s like watching history repeat itself in the most beautiful way. What kills me is how much they each remind me of their mom at different stages of her life—but then, out of nowhere, I’ll catch a glimpse of DT.

I see his funny, adventurous, and athletic spirit alive and well in them. A specific laugh, a bold streak of independence, the way they roast each other with quick wit and quick comebacks — he is so clearly woven into who they are. They brought his energy right back through my front door just when I needed it most.

So, instead of spending this July looking back and replaying the loss, I am fully in the present, frantically planning how on earth I am going to entertain a house full of pre-teens and teenagers for the next fourteen days. My days are filled with looking up activities, stocking up on groceries, cooking and keeping up with their energy.

Grief doesn't disappear, but life has a beautiful, miraculous way of expanding around it. Three years later, I'm not just surviving July—I'm living it.

**Just Keep Going.**