Grief is as individual as we are! Eight years later; I’m still learning how to live on while enduring the loss of Landon. The first year of losing Landon was the most difficult. I coined the phrase “Year of the Absolute Firsts!” When your loved one has passed, every aspect of your life changes. The most mundane tasks take on a different meaning. Landon’s birthday is February 28th. He passed on October 21, 2013 at age 24. Emotionally and spiritually, I drew my last breath that day. Losing Landon was extremely difficult the first years after his passing. New Year’s Day would start my countdown to February 28th. On February 28th, I’d start counting the days until October 21st. Landon’s passing bonded our family and the sorrow of losing him is our common thread. We have a renewed commitment to maintaining our family connection; “I love you” is spoken more than ever. We share more hugs. We all have our favorite memory with Landon. While creating new memories, our family celebrates our life journey with Landon. We share family news, events, recipes, but most importantly, LOVE. Our family recognizes how much Landon contributed to our happiness and lifted our spirits just by being him. We celebrate Landon’s birthday by going to his favorite restaurants. My gratitude for sharing my life journey with Landon renews my strength. Life is a matter of moments in which we must find strength, inspiration, determination and commitment to live between the dash.
– Lynette Wade
