15 years ago my dad went to sleep and didn’t wake up. This was my first real experience of grief, and it changed everything in my life. As painful as loss is, there’s something really special about the strength you cultivate in navigating it. It can fortify you, if you let it. I’m the person I am today because my grief has fueled me and also transmuted me. I will always miss my dad, and I often wonder what my life would have looked like if he had stayed around. But it has always been a comfort to know that his presence lingers everywhere. I can find him whenever I look for him. Grief is the reminder that love was present, and even if it’s no longer in its original form, that love still exists. ❤️