Honestly, this journey caught me by surprise.

I spent the entire time my dad was sick preparing for his death. What I wasn't prepared for was his absence and everything that came with it. While I've had time to adjust, it still never feels complete. That's the thing about grief- it never ends. You just have to learn to live with it.

The journey is one which leaves no one unchanged.

But it can teach you things you never knew about how to live and love. It has taught me to love as fiercely as I fight, to see people enduring loss in a different, more empathetic lens, and to never take anything for granted. We have one life to live and one chance to live it.

Lastly, I had to learn to embrace the grief I was gifted with by sharing my journey with all of you.