I’m sure you’ve heard that grief is like the ocean—vast, deep, and ever-changing. One moment, the waters are calm, and you find a sense of peace as memories gently brush the shore of your heart. The next moment, without warning, a storm rolls in, and you’re overwhelmed by crashing waves of sorrow and longing. It doesn’t follow a schedule or respect the passage of time. It simply is—a force of nature that becomes a part of us.

This week marks Melanie’s 6th birthday in Heaven. Another birthday, another year gone by without her. Is it easier? In some ways, yes. I no longer feel the extreme heaviness of grief that I felt in the earlier years, but it’s still hard. The missing never ends and I never expect it will.

But living without hope is impossible. Hope is our oxygen. It’s the fuel that keeps us going when times are tough, giving us the strength to press on through the challenges we face during loss, and the vision to dream of better days.