it hits you
out of nowhere
after you have felt ‘over it’
years later
a month
a week
it doesn’t matter
one day you’re fine
the person rarely enters your mind
the next
everything
everything reminds you of them
the smell in the air
the way a stranger smiles
the emptiness in the halls as you go about your day
there’s no end
there are ebbs and flows
highs and lows
we learn to live without
but the pain remains
under the surface
ready to release
when we least expect it
it can cripple
but it can also make us appreciate what’s in front of us
and to love life
and make the most of what we still have
and to never take for granted
the moments we have
the love we feel
the people we cherish
forever I will miss you
and want one more moment
and want you to know your beautiful great-grandbabies
but instead
I will live each day to make you proud