24/09/2025
Today marks 17 years since my sister Jaye passed away.
These are our first and last photos together. Between them, there was a lot of trauma, pain, and suffering; but also so much fun, joy, giggling, and love.
Early in my grief journey, I used to really struggle with what was taken from me. It was incredibly hard to navigate such a difficult loss, and it took a long time to feel settled and comfortable in this new life without her.
Along the way, I made the conscious decision to live for the two little girls and young women in these photos. Jaye didn’t get to live this much of her life, so I’m determined to live mine fully - with intention, purpose, gratitude, and presence. Love and her memory continue to guide me, inspire me, and shape the way I show up in life, in my parenting, and in my work.
Grief is never simple. It doesn’t tie itself up neatly with time. It shifts, it teaches, it reshapes us. There is something vital in being with the pain rather than skipping over it - the insight, the understanding, and the depth that come from allowing yourself to feel, reflect, and grow within it.
What once felt like only emptiness can slowly open into something else - a sense of meaning, a deeper compassion for others, and a drive to live intentionally. Grief hasn’t only taken from me, it’s given me direction, a greater purpose, and a new view of life and the world. Jaye gave me that gift.
So, if you are walking through something heavy right now, my encouragement is this: keep showing up, keep feeling, keep being present with the journey - even in the parts that hurt the most, and even if you can’t see an outcome yet. There is something within the pain that shapes who you are, who you become, and the life you can create beyond it.
One quote that helped me through the hardest times and still guides me today is this: “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
Even in the middle of the hardest times, life can still surprise us, and can still be beautiful. Be open to all of the journey and see what you find. đź’ś
S.W.