Its Been One Year

Today marks the one year anniversary of Gabby's passing. The past year has been quite a journey. A journey of many ups and downs. Today has been one of the most difficult days of this journey. It has been nearly as difficult as the day she died. I made a promise to Gabby that I will not let grief overcome me. I will remain strong, and continue to live my life honoring Gabby. With Gabby by my side, I am determined to make it through this journey.

Today, I decided to honor Gabby by taking her some beautiful red roses, an angel windchime, and some beautiful balloons that I released into the sky. I watched the balloons as they soared high above the trees, then disappear beyond the clouds, as if they entered into heaven for Gabby to grab. Just the thought of her being in one of the most beautiful places on earth, free of harm, free of pain, surrounded by angels as they sing to all our loved ones, brought so much peace and happiness to me.

As the time of her actual death draws near, I find myself coping with some of the tragic thoughts. I am finding myself reliving the last moments of her life. These thoughts often enter my mind, but have been much harder today. These thoughts, by far, have been one of the hardest parts of dealing with grief. There is nothing like reliving your child's death over and over again. I know, this is a normal part of grief, and it is a part of the PTSD I now deal with. The frequency of these thoughts are less often and I am grateful for that. I am not sure if these thoughts will ever subside completely, but I have faith that as time goes on...these thoughts will be easier to cope with.

I had a family member ask me the other day if the pain of losing my daughter has eased. I don't ever believe I will get over the pain of losing my daughter. The pain will always remain. One year after her passing, I find that I have more good days than bad. On the downside, when I do have a bad day, the pain is far greater than the bad days in the beginning. Perhaps that is because the painful days occur less often. The sad days are emotionally draining, and are a very difficult part of this journey, but to me, they just remind me of how much my daughter is missed and how much she was loved. They have become a part of my life and I have accepted that. It is for that reason, I will always welcome those sad days.

Dear God

Dear God,
In six short days it will be one year since your son...Jesus, took my daughter's hand, and lead her into Heaven's Kingdom to be with you. Although, I have come to terms with my daughter's death and have accepted it, I am still full of so many questions and there is so much I still don't understand.

I often hear people tell me to have faith and there is a reason for everything. There have been many times after Gabby's passing that I have questioned my faith. I have never doubted you or your existence, but sometimes I wonder why such awful things have to happen. Why do you allow so much pain and heartache? Why is it, I often feel so alone on my journey? Why is it that my child had to die? Why is it, that no matter how hard I try, my life gets harder? I often wonder what I did to deserve so much pain and heartache. Perhaps, I have not accepted my daughter's death. Maybe, I never will. Perhaps it is too early in my grief to know. Often, it seems as if my prayers go unanswered. One of the hardest parts of my journey has been questioning my faith. I just feel like when I need you the most, you arent here. At times, I am so angry with you. I don't want to be angry with you. I can't be angry with you! I have to have peace in my heart. Don't you understand? I need to have my faith...I need to know that my daughter and I will be together again. I need to know that someday, I will be forgiven for my doubts.

I've been told Angels know the secrets to Heaven. The secrets to the answers I long to know. My daughter is among those angels. I know in your time, I will know the answers I long for. Perhaps, one day, Gabby will whisper in the wind and tell me not to worry and that everything will be ok. Until then, I must keep my faith, and believe that although you might not answer right away...at some point...my prayers will be answered.

Love Truly,

Jen