Life has this quiet, relentless way of moving forward. Seasons change, people come and go, and somehow, without realizing it, the years start to pile up. Yet through it all, no matter how much the world shifts around me, there’s one thing that never changes: I carry you with me, in everything I do.
You were, and still are, one of the most important parts of my life. Your laughter, your advice, your steady presence—they live on inside me. Every step I take forward is laced with memories of you, like a soft thread stitched through the fabric of my everyday existence. Even now, when life feels like a whirlwind, there are moments that still stop me in my tracks—moments when I feel your influence like a hand on my shoulder, guiding me, steadying me.
Sometimes, when things get tough, I catch myself wondering what you would say if you were here. I think about your words, the way you had a gift for making even the darkest moments seem a little less scary. You were the kind of person who didn’t need to have all the answers. Just your presence was enough to make the world feel less overwhelming.
There’s a bittersweet ache in realizing that life goes on without you physically here. Birthdays come and go. Holidays pass. Milestones are reached. People move forward. And yet, with each new chapter, you remain a part of the story. Your voice echoes in my head when I make big decisions. Your jokes still find their way into my laughter. Your strength lives on in the way I face challenges.
I miss you in the little things, too. It’s the songs we used to sing off-key together, the inside jokes that no one else would ever understand. It’s the quiet moments when I want to share good news, or even when I need someone to just listen. I find myself reaching for you in those spaces where only you would fit.
But missing you doesn’t mean standing still. I know you’d want me to live fully, to embrace all that life has to offer. You always pushed me to be braver, to dream bigger, to care deeper. And so I try to honor you not by holding onto the sadness, but by moving forward with the lessons you taught me stitched into my heart.
In the way I treat people with kindness even when it’s hard, you’re there.
In the way I chase my dreams without letting fear hold me back, you’re there.
In the way I laugh, even on tough days, you’re there.
You made me better, and you still do.
Sometimes I wonder if you know. If somehow, beyond all the things we can see and touch, you feel it—the love, the gratitude, the ache. I like to believe you do. I like to believe that real connections aren’t severed by distance, time, or even death. They live on in the hearts they touched, in the lives they helped shape.
Carrying you with me isn’t something I do consciously most days. It’s just part of me now. Like the way you learn to breathe differently when running uphill—you don’t think about it, you just adapt. Loving you, missing you, carrying you—it’s as natural as breathing now.
There are times when the sadness still feels heavy, like a backpack I didn’t choose but have learned to bear. But more often, it feels lighter these days. More like a collection of treasures I get to keep. Every memory, every lesson, every laugh—it’s all part of my story, and yours too.
Life moves fast. It doesn’t pause for grief, or heartbreak, or even for memories. But I think the most beautiful tribute I can give you is to keep living. To live a life you would be proud of. To build a life that says, “Because you were here, I am better.”
And so I move forward—not away from you, but with you. You are a part of every good thing I do, every kindness I offer, every dream I chase. When I stand up for myself, when I take risks, when I keep going even on days when it’s hard—that’s you, too.
I carry you with me in every laugh shared, every tear shed, every quiet triumph and every small defeat. You are not behind me, lost in the past. You are beside me, part of every step I take.
Life moves on, as it always does. It sweeps us into new adventures, new beginnings, and new endings. But through it all, I carry you with me—in my heart, in my actions, in my dreams.
Always.
