Dear Sonzee,
Today marked 2 years and 6 months since you left me. That is 2.5 years without you. More than half of your life. I would ask how, but I am no stranger to the speed that time passes. I made it through the day without any sudden moments taking my breath away. That is probably because I didn't want to think about the day until this evening. In a sense, it was nice to essentially be on my own island without anyone else realizing, acknowledging, or maybe even knowing what today was. It is definitely a double-edged sword. On one hand, I absolutely hate when people ask me how I am doing on a specific date related to you as if every other day of the year is any different for me. On the other, there is some comfort in knowing that others remember, that the day makes someone take a second to honor, that you are on someone's mind a little bit more today. There is no winning on this grief journey. Never.
I do not quite understand how time has continued to pass by. I do not understand how the world didn't stop 2.5 years ago. For me, my life is surreal, spent balancing a before, during, and after, and not fully embracing the after. It is filled with a mix of extreme highs and lows as I try to compensate for your loss, but never quite adequately.
I am truly at a loss. Two and half years ago you were with me, physically speaking. I know mentally you were out of your body 36 hours before. I have been listening to an audible book about grieving a child, and the story recounts the exact days leading up to their daughter's death and the day of. It still fascinates me how many details are remembered surrounding the deaths of a child. I was thinking while I listened to the story how amazing it was this mother could recount the weeks prior with such perfection without knowing her daughter was going to die. Then I realized, I didn't know how long you would have left to live and I too could recount the last weeks of your life with painful accuracy. Some moments in life just become permanent. Thankfully and not.
I feel like I have learned so little and so much in the two and half years since you left me. I have definitely changed in the time as well, for better and worse. Two and half years ago seems like a dream and a nightmare all mushed into one block of time. I still manage to wake up every day. I still manage to put one foot in front of the other. I still manage to breathe. I still don't understand how.
In two and half years I have certainly cycled through all of the stages of grief and then some. I feel like there should be a different term to describe them because if I could describe them visually, it would be one of those clown mazes, complete with mirrors, shaking, steps, strobe lights, and all of the chaos. If I thought at one point the stages would ever be accomplished I wouldn't be doing grief any justice. This is one carnival experience that won't ever be ending.
I wish I knew what you have been up to over these last two and half years. You accomplished a decent amount in your two and half years on earth but never hit the typical milestones. Have you done so? Did someone put a sticker on your shirt like I had ready for you and then take a picture with you wearing it? Have you surpassed all of the typical milestones and completed ones I wouldn't even be able to dream of? Do they have a sticker for flying? Are there levels to complete like at swim? Have you earned a sticker for visiting me? Do they give you extra points for your mother not realizing it was even accomplished? Maybe you could ask to have a sticker added for visiting your mother in her dreams? I promise I would bring you a rock with that painted on it.
Do you go to school? What grade are you in? How does the schooling even work where you are? Where are you even exactly? Is it one specific place or do you travel all around? Who do you live with? Are they people I know? Do you have a lot of friends? Do you have sleepovers and parties together? What is your favorite thing to do during the day? What are your favorite foods? Do you still love to swim and the color red? What is your favorite music to listen to? What music do you not like? Is it jazz like me or country music like aba? Can you ride a bike? Have you ever been skiing or ice skating? Aba, I am sure would love to know if you like hockey.
There is so much I don't know about you and what you are up to. It literally sucks the air out of my lungs. Your brother is soon to be the age you never turned, he is out of my sight for 8 hours a day, and I get pictures of what he is up to and I know where I can find him. I know nothing about you. It is horrible. I hope that is one-sided. I hope you are not experiencing the same panic wondering what we are doing here. I hope you are in the know.
My heart is still in pieces two and half years later. Time has not healed anything. Grief isn't any better, and it certainly is not over. The thought of another two and half years passing without you here makes me nauseous, despite knowing that will be my future. Please come and visit me in my dreams, it's been too many years since I have seen your face!
I love you beyond words Sonzee bear!
Until next time.
Love always,
Ema