the below excerpt was written following the passing of my father-in-law. may he rest in peace. photos originally taken on may 8, 2023 in salinas, puerto rico and originally shared here.
life. has. been. wild. to say the least...
it all happened so quickly! we were living in survival mode just going through the motions. at the time, we took six flights in twenty eight days. i was mainly off of social media when we were in the thick of it and that allowed me to really process what what happening at the time. i really wanted to be a support system for my husband. the news of my father-in-law's untimely passing really shook up our worlds and even tested our relationship. throughout these past almost ten (!!!) years of marriage, i've learned that seasons come and go. that truly gave me peace and strength, knowing that this was a season and life won't always feel this heavy.
i told myself it was ok to take things slow and be present. this was the first time either one of us lost a parent and i feel like we're so young to have had to experience this. at the time, i felt so much guilt for looking for pockets of joy while simultaneously grieving the loss of my husband's father. navigating grief as a married couple was new for us. i had to learn how to allow him to grieve in the ways that he needed to. grief isn't linear and while the season of chaos may end, grief lasts a lifetime. holding space for him to feel his feelings and not take it personal has been a huge marriage lesson for me.