Stronger

It’s April 18.

What should have been my first wedding anniversary is in three days.

At this time last year, I never imagined I’d be a widow. I never imagined that I’d be having to figure out how to write an obituary for my grandmother. I never imagined a lot of things, I guess. 

Not all of it has been bad, though.

My faith has grown a lot in the last year. My relationship with my family has strengthened. I think God has shown me a lot of things and taught me a lot of things. There’s mercy and healing, even when there’s pain.

As I wait for the next few days to pass, I can only hope that this will be a new year of hope and peace. That things will change for the better and that new life will be gained. I’m turning 30 this year, and I want it to be a time of celebration. I want this to be a year I can look back on proudly and think, “Things haven’t been easy, but God kept me strong.”