Thank You

A year ago, I entered a season I never wanted to know.

The kind of season that changes you. The kind that divides your life into “before” and “after.”

Almost a year ago, I said goodbye to my mom.

Even now, those words don’t feel real. There are days when I still reach for my phone, thinking I should call her. Days when something funny happens and I instinctively want to tell her about it. Days when I wish I could hear her voice, ask her advice, or simply sit beside her one more time.

Grief has a way of reminding you how deeply you loved.

But today, instead of focusing on what I lost, I want to focus on what I was given.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mom, for every sacrifice I never saw.

Thank you for every prayer you prayed over me when I didn’t know you were praying.

Thank you for every lesson, every correction, every hug, every conversation, every moment you spent loving me.

Thank you for showing me what faith looks like.

You weren’t perfect, but you pointed me to the One who is.

I watched you trust God through hard seasons. I watched you worship when life wasn’t easy. I watched you show up week after week, sitting in your place at church, loving Jesus with consistency that now means even more to me.

Some of the seeds you planted in me are only now beginning to bloom.

I hear your wisdom in my decisions.

I see your strength in my perseverance.

I recognize your love in the way I love others.

And I thank God for every piece of you that lives on in me.

This year has taught me that grief and gratitude can exist together.

I can miss you and still be thankful.

I can cry and still praise God.

I can wish you were here while trusting that you are exactly where God has called you to be.

Scripture tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to “give thanks in all circumstances.” Not for all circumstances, in all circumstances.

And if I’m honest, there have been days when giving thanks felt impossible.

Days when my heart was heavy.

Days when I questioned why.

Days when I simply missed my mom.

But even in those moments, God remained faithful.

He has carried me through every tear, every lonely holiday, every milestone, every moment when the weight of grief felt too heavy to bear.

Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

I have lived that verse this year.

Not because the pain disappeared.

But because God met me in it.

He sat with me in my sorrow.

He strengthened me when I felt weak.

He reminded me that death does not get the final word.

Because of Jesus, goodbye is not forever.

Because of Jesus, there is hope beyond the grave.

Because of Jesus, I know I will see my mom again.

What a gift that promise is.

As I reflect on this year, I realize that grief has taught me to treasure what matters most.

People matter.

Time matters.

Faith matters.

Love matters.

And while I would give anything for one more conversation, one more hug, one more Sunday sitting beside my mom, I am overwhelmingly grateful for the years God allowed me to have with her.

Not everyone gets a mother who loves fiercely.

Not everyone gets a mother who prays.

Not everyone gets a mother who leaves behind a legacy of faith.

I did.

And for that, I say thank you.

Thank you, Mom.

Thank you for loving me.

Thank you for believing in me.

Thank you for pointing me toward Jesus.

Thank you for helping shape the woman I am becoming.

And thank You, God.

Thank You for every year, every memory, every lesson, every laugh, and every moment.

Thank You for sustaining me through this year.

Thank You for never leaving me.

Thank You for the promise that this separation is temporary.

A year later, my heart still aches.

But my gratitude is greater.

Thank you.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬