Anniversaries… not all are to be celebrated…

Anniversaries… not all are meant to be celebrated, but are a huge reminder of what we have been given to celebrate!!

As the two year mark hits the calendar, I am reminded of all the times I need to celebrate, moments that included the LIFE of my son, Cody!! There was a lot of life in his 24-1/2 years!! His dad and I are going on vacation to celebrate his life and do fun things he would enjoy!! We are even going to try a few things that might have started with “watch this, hold my beer!!” I do I believe he coined the phrase!!!

I don’t want to ever forget all the fun times. I know with the ups, there were downs. I want to remember those too!! Those moments make him still seem with me and alive!! Brings the ‘normal’ back into play!!

Emotions are all over the place, but not as bad as last year!! I will always wish he was still with us, and I miss him every day!! People may want to accuse me of “getting over” this loss. I stand here today and acknowledge he is gone, but not one day goes by where I am “over” anything! Faith doesn’t get a person over the loss, it gets me through it!! I have faith that my son is in good hands. That will do for now.

Many times, I miss the things I had hoped to experience! We all have hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to witness all of them! But, many of my hopes and dreams were realized. I must never forget that!! He has left a mark on many and will live on through stories (I hope) for many years, and even generations to come!! Hopefully, those stories won’t give young kids bad ideas to try. I don’t want their mom’s hair turning gray too early!!

As I head into next week, “anniversary week,” I will still have my emotional days, but bet on days where I am smiling at the things he did get to do and the memories he has left us with! There are many! And, yes, many will cause the gray hairs, but I am so grateful I have them!! I will not refer to this as a “happy anniversary.” It is a mark on the calendar I will acknowledge. It will be filled with memories, recollections, stories, laughter, and tears. It is a day my world changed…forever reminding me to be grateful, and to acknowledge the love you have while you have time!! The opportunity might not be there tomorrow!

Live everyday to its fullest. Laugh as often as possible. Love as if tomorrow is not promised!! As always, I cry because he is gone, but I smile because he was here!!

#tomorrowisnotpromised #livelovelaugh #thedashinthemiddle

Author: Christina Herold Trueblood

My name is Christina Trueblood. I am married and live in Central Illinois and am the mother of two, a daughter and son. Unfortunately, I lost my son in August 2017 in a single vehicle truck accident a couple of miles from our home. He was 24. I have documented some of my story on Facebook over this first year and have been encouraged to start a blog. I hope to help other families who have gone through loss and struggle to make any sense of it. My faith has kept me going and I believe one day, we will meet those loved ones we have lost again and it will be as if no time has passed. Until then, I want to honor their lives and know they left a mark on my life! Please follow me and share your stories. View all posts by Christina Herold Trueblood