Somehow a year has passed since the we lost him. It honestly doesn’t seem real. So many of you lost a beloved friend, but for us, he was our everything. He fought valiantly and deserved peace. And after 13 brutal months, the four of us were battle weary. His Christian faith was strong and he knew where he was going. He was as fearless about leaving this life, as he was for his entire battle. Most of you knew his brilliance, his kindness, his humor, his selflessness, his pride in his heritage, his dedication and unwavering love for Athena, EJ and me. In the end, he even encouraged us to walk away from anything negative in our lives, because he wanted us to choose joy. We weren’t just loved, we were adored.

I didn’t spend a few weeks in bed as I had warned those close to me. I somehow became busier than I’ve ever been. But I suppose that’s always been my way — looking forward. And it seems Athena and EJ are the same way. George comes up in conversation for all of us almost daily — we’re so blessed that most of our people, even here in Texas, knew him and he is simply a part of life for us. It may sound strange, but most of the time it feels like he’s still here with us. But according to my incredible therapist, that’s what happens when you love someone so completely and purely — they never really go away.

So we’ve been busy fulfilling his wishes. He read all the posts I made and all the loving comments from friends far and wide. He felt that everyone had mourned him for over a year, and wanted it to be over for all of us. Rather than focusing on our loss, he wanted us doing happy things while thinking of him and remembering our best times and traditions. He wanted us to go to football games, spend wild days on the lake with the cousies, Greek Festivals, skiing, concerts, building the house we planned together, watching sunsets, sipping good bourbon with friends, and weekend drives looking at the gorgeous countryside. He wanted us to donate to small projects that get forgotten, and to college kids that are trying to make it alone, and local kids choirs, and animal shelters — and of course, always Shriners. So yes, we’ve been doing all of this and we know other friends are too. We have sad moments, and certain dates will always make us a bit quieter and wistful. But life is so very good and some might even say we are thriving. While we battled, lost, and worked through the haze of this past year, Athena and EJ are now somehow well into their senior year of college and looking forward to their next steps. I am moving past numb and enjoying adventures with friends spanning a spectrum from Bible Study to TCU parent tailgates. Relationships with lifelong friends George and I had, have become richer. To say that the life the four of us had together was blessed would be an understatement. But somehow the unbelievable trials we had have made us stronger, more bonded together, and able to look at life through a lens of not what we’ve lost, but rather to see what he gave us. Yes, we miss him. Every single day. But he’s always with us and a part of us. So we’re still standing, looking forward, an never alone. May his memory be eternal.