Post Jiggy Day Thoughts

Jiggy Day...Jocie's Birthday...brings complicated emotions to all of my family. The intent is to celebrate, do crazy randomly fun things and remember our angel girl in every moment of the day. For me, it seems as time plods further away from Jocie's last birthday on Earth my emotions get even more complicated. I find I am crying more than last year...more sentimental than last year...and experiencing that awful ache in my heart more than last year. I wonder why that is? 

We were lucky enough this Jiggy Day to gather the entire family together for an evening.

Dione and her fiance Hailey flew in to finalize wedding venue plans, They planned their trip to coincide with Jiggy Day. It's always better when we are together. Auntie Didi loves her nieces and nephew so much.

Great friends Lisa and Francesca joined us for dinner and later spoiled just us girls with tickets to the Maroon Five concert. I asked the group to show me their favorite goofy Jocie face for this photo.

At the end of the day...endearingly surrounded by my family, I look at each one of them and am reminded at how remarkable they all are. They are living and thriving without a sister, a daughter, an aunt, a sister-in-law. The hole is apparent to me where Jocie's vivacious red-headed self is missing. Apparent...but not insurmountable. So I guess I should stop worrying about why I feel more emotional after celebrating nine birthdays (can it really be) without my daughter. Stop...probably until next Jiggy Day. Just in case you find yourself missing someone you love or know someone who is...it's OK. It's perfectly OK to cry and feel broken and half-full. Tomorrow is fresh and new and another beginning.

And just one last thing...don't forget to always love your people as purposely as you can.