simple acts of LOVE.

sigh.

my dad just pulled out of the driveway......i miss him already.

it's so nice when he's here, i love him so much.

i think it always hits me when my dad leaves just how lonely it is...........well, being alone.

my dad is a wonderful man, the best man i know.

he is my person.

having him here, especially during this hard week has been such a comfort to me.

he's been my rock through all of this.

on the nights when i can't breathe----those nights when i really don't know if i can physically go on----he is there.  i pick up the phone and he is there.  just knowing he's there and the strength he gives me makes it so i can breathe just enough to make it through.

this last week was hard.

emotionally, i am exhausted.  i have been feeling SO much....i've been feeling it all and my heart and my mind are just worn out.

my dad's safe hugs, just his presence, helped me get through this week.  just like he helped me get through this time last year.

my dad isn't the only one who helped me this week.

the amount of pure, unconditional LOVE i felt this past week is simply amazing.

so many simple acts of kindness, beautiful gestures of love were shown to me that i will forever be thankful for.

i'm surrounded by so much love and beauty!

every kind message, text, facebook post----i read and appreciate them all.

sometimes a kind word or a simple heart means more to me than anything else could.

hugs.

hugs are the best thing ever.

they've helped heal my soul in a way that nothing else can.

i can't think of anything more comforting or soothing than a big safe hug, especially now, when my arms are so painfully empty without my son.

my sweet boy was my constant hug, he was always in my arms, close to my heart.

my arms are just so bare without him.

hugs help.

the most beautiful gesture of love happened on the night of the 23rd, the night of the one year anniversary of my son's death.

the sweet Young Women from my church planned something so beautiful to honor my beautiful boy, something i will never forget and always be grateful for.

my dad, aubrey and i pulled into our driveway around 8:00 on that night and saw the most beautiful sight.  my driveway was lit up on both sides with candles, leading up to my door where there was a wreath lit up with blue and a "C" hanging in the middle.   it was breathtakingly beautiful.  so tender and sweet.

oh, my heart!!

i can tell you that the love i felt that night was so strong i could almost see it.

these sweet young women from church planned a memorial service in my front yard for my son, my beautiful boy.

the local high school singing group was standing in my lawn and when i stepped out of my dad's car i was serenaded with the most touching music i think i've ever heard.  honestly, i don't even remember what the first song was, i just know that i was feeling a love so strong that it brought me to my knees.

literally, i fell to my knees because my emotions were so BIG and the love was so STRONG.

i could feel my son.

oh my heart, could i feel him!

that love, that feeling of pure LOVE.....that is my son.

i felt it so strong, i felt him so strongly.

it was the most beautiful act of love and kindness i think i've ever been shown.

i'm so blessed.

i have so much love around me and i feel so blessed that i am at a place in my life where i can recognize it, and be humble enough to let it in.

i would be so lost without it, this love.

i couldn't breathe without it.

it's hard enough to breathe as it is......without the love of those around me i couldn't do this.

i know i couldn't.

i'm so grateful for LOVE.

i miss my son.

i miss my sweet boy with every part of my heart.

i'm so grateful for the strength i find in others, for the love that gets me through.

happy Sunday to all of you.

<3