12/12/2025
The night we said goodbye to our Rocco, Sofia and Joaquin were out looking at Christmas lights. I waited to tell them until they got home, holding the weight of it quietly.
Sofia was the first one I told. The news hit her instantly. She fell to the floor and let her grief come exactly as it was—raw, honest, and full. She cried for how much she would miss him and how special he was. She reminded me how powerful it is to actually feel our emotions instead of tucking them away.
Then I went to Joaquin. I sat beside him with tears in my eyes, and the moment he heard the words, he looked right at me and asked, “Are you sad, Mom?” He wiped my tears with the softest hands and gently said, “Go hug Dad.”
He checked on his dad first, then saw his sister heartbroken and wrapped her in a long, steady hug—kissing the top of her head over and over and rubbing her back until she softened into him.
In the middle of our loss, I watched something incredibly human unfold.
Sofia showed me how to let emotions move through you.
Joaquin showed me how to care for the people you love in their pain.
Out of our sadness came something unexpectedly beautiful. These two souls continue to teach me how to feel, how to love, and how to show up for one another.
How lucky I am to walk this life with them.
🤍🐾
