August. A new month. But one thing I’ve learned is that grief doesn’t care what the calendar says. It doesn’t magically disappear because we turn the page. There is no timeline. It’s ever present 24/7. 

It is a continuation.

Continuing to put on my hiking shoes even when my body is tired.

Continuing to nourish my body because it deserves care.

Continuing to write, to dream, to experience all of the emotions from laughter to tears and everything in between.

Continuing to trust God with the parts of my story I still don’t understand. Jeremiah 29:11

I still desperately wish Steven were beside me. As I prepare my book launch and as my Everesting challenge grows closer, those milestones feel both exciting and painfully incomplete. He should be here for all of it.

But I’ve learned something this year.

Hope isn’t the absence of grief.

Hope is choosing to take the next faithful step while carrying it.

So that’s my goal for August. Not perfection. Not pretending everything is okay.

Just showing up.

One workout.

One healthy meal.

One page.

One prayer.

One conversation.

One act of courage at a time.

By the grace of God, those small, ordinary steps have a way of becoming extraordinary over time.

Here’s to August.

May we have the courage to keep moving forward, even when our hearts are carrying more than anyone else can see.

Imagine ~ Believe ~ Achieve

Life With Lisa