April 15th

I gave up drinking to prepare for moments like this. To grieve sober, to fully feel my emotions, and process them with a clear mind. When I’m inebriated or stuck in fight-or-flight mode, the message gets lost—it’s not meant to fuel anger or send me spiraling back to where I started.

Today, I saw Valley Christian elementary students outside, proudly dressed in pink. I smiled. Valley Christian allowed students from elementary, middle, and high school to wear pink for $1 today. Witnessing that in person gave me strength. I didn’t cry—Amya never liked it when I cried. Instead, I felt honored.

April 15th felt like reliving this nightmare all over again, but this year April 15th feels different. April 14 held the grief, but April 15 reminds us to smile, to breathe, and maybe even sneak in a nap—because why not?

It felt right to capture this moment now, writing in real time for all the reasons that make it matter.

I'm Present!

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