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I guard myself with sky-high walls, and it’s not because I don’t have massive amounts of love to share, but I just don’t know if my love, my being, my essence could be loved with the same intensity.

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My two children move like air—everywhere you turn, they’re there. Their favorite hideout is under the dinner table, stacking and knocking over dreams.

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I’m sorry, not because I’m not enough, but because you are too blind to realize how hard I’ve tried for you and how much effort I’ve put into this one-sided relationship.

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Five years ago today, you took your last breath here on Earth, and my world has looked a lot different ever since.

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Thank you for teaching me about love and showing me that I don’t always need to be strong, but that a kind heart and happy mind is the greatest home you can build for yourself.

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Show up for your people.

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I can’t pretend I know how I will feel a year from now, or even three months from now, but as I sit here with tears in my eyes, let me tell you: it does get easier.

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It was all in the past, and the only thing that mattered was that moment, there and then.

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It’s okay if you talk about your dad in general. Again, if he’s here, let’s talk about him. The good, the bad, the annoying. Let’s talk about it all.

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Through every broken heart and every rejection, my dad was always there with open arms. It didn’t matter if I was 14 or 18 running to him—every time I looked up, he was right there to hold me.