Through the Storm: Lessons in Grief and Growth

My Lovelies,

Isabelle here 😘❤️! My Loves, I appreciate your patience and understanding as Pawz and Prose took a much-needed hiatus last week. Athena and I needed some brief time away as we marked a crucial milestone together… the first anniversary of my husband’s passing. I know we’ve spoken about him quite a bit here during our time together and we’ve discussed grief; however, being that we’ve reached this milestone, I thought it proper to do another post regarding what’s changed or what I’ve figured out this past year.

Reflecting on the 365 days that are now behind us, I would say the first thing that stands out to me is that I’ve been living that infamous saying, “You don’t really know how strong you are until being strong is the only option you have.” I’ve had friends and family members who are in my support group reach out to me and tell me that I’m “admirable” and that I’m “brave.” That they understand that not everyone can take a loss like this with the “grace” and “strength” I’ve been doing. Ahem end quote Ahem… their words. The truth is, I wasn’t given any other option. Well… perhaps there technically IS another option Ahem IYKYK Ahem but I don’t want to take that route. I know that would not be honoring him nor fair to myself either after going through what I’ve been through. Long story short, this is the first reflection from the year. This whole grief and loss process has brought out, unexpectedly and rudely, mind you, a strength I didn’t know I had. No, I’m not happy with how I figured this out… at all as it was at the cost of my husband’s life; however, it’s just something I know this process has taught me.

Another big reflection that I’ve been left with throughout this time is how much good my babe gave my life. How many beautiful lessons and how, with the decade we knew each other, he enriched my journey. It’s like, in a strange way, he was preparing me for these types of life-changing and heart-wrenching situations. How simple phrases like “Chiquitita (shorty), why are you scared? You have God, and you have me. Don’t you Believe?” or “Whether a good day or a bad day, God never stops being God” gave me strength. How he left me with these messages so that when I feel myself going to the deepest and darkest parts of my mind and my emotions start surfacing, I’m able to not drown and keep moving forward. Still struggling, as I’m only human, but able to push forward.

I think what I want to leave you guys with this week is that even amid our hardest, most difficult, and darkest times in life, there’s always a silver lining. Losing my husband, seeing him lose his battle with cancer, and having this life change come so soon and so unexpectedly has been, without a doubt, the most difficult experience I’ve ever had to endure. It has also taught me a lot about life, about my resilience, and about the true importance of our interactions with others while we’re still walking the planet. It’s what I’ve been trying to say all along, My Loves, that it’s the impact we leave on this planet and this earth that matters. Using the example of my Babe, It was his presence in my life and how he used it in such a positive and impactful manner that touched my life and will continue touching my life forever. My interactions, experiences, and time spent with him made my life take a turn for the better. This is what I hope to do in life, and with this blog is to help all of you out there who join us every week.

This is going to be a short post and a short reflection, My Loves, and again… apologies if we have dived into more hard topics here on our blog. I appreciate your patience, love, support, and understanding as I continue sharing my life experiences and my journey with you all on here.

Until the next one, My Loves,

XOXO Isabelle 😘❤️ XOXO