The rest? We used to take a trip to Bohol—where Christopher had always dreamed of going but never made it. I showed Emil the Chocolate Hills, and we spread wildflower seeds in the wind.
He laughed and said, “That’s for Mama’s garden in the sky.”
Some pain never fully leaves. I still visit the cemetery every month. Still bring two bouquets.
One for my son. One for Harper. And I always bring Emil’s drawings.
He insists they like getting mail, too. But our story—mine and Emil’s—is not a story of endings. It’s a story of beginnings that grew out of the deepest kind of loss.
Grief doesn’t ask permission. It arrives like a storm and leaves you picking up the pieces with trembling hands. But love… love builds new things from the wreckage.
If you’ve lost someone, don’t close the door on the rest of your life. Sometimes the most unexpected people—like a child who calls you “Lola” and brings you dandelions—become your second chance. Please share this if you believe in family, in healing, and in finding light again after the darkest night.
