Year 2024

Because of a text thread the other day, talking about seemingly how when it seems like you’re going through it, you really GO THROUGH IT, which caused me to realize I have never really opened up about the big things I faced in 2024, after losing my husband. All the while I did it with just a few people by my side. The people that stuck by me during year 2024, are still beside me today.

Let’s talk about it.

January of 2024 started out GRAND, with celebrating being a stay at home mom/wife. I had turned in my resignation. My husband was going full time with his own business, and i was just getting to live the dream.

In March, my husband died. YEP, WHIRLWIND. I was 32,

Widowed, and raising a 4 Month old & 4 year old ——while trying to manage my own grief, my kids grief, and not drown.

End of May 2024, Just 2 months after I lost my husband, my brother returned from vacation with a very bad infection that almost cost him his life. Man… I was in such survival mode, and then hearing how bad my brothers infection was and how easily we could have lost him really really didnt help where I was in my grief.

In June 2024, my brother was still recovering and while doing so, Our dad went to the dr & they thought he was having a heart attack. ( I was on a spur of the moment trip away with the kids to silence the chaos from Josh dying) And on the day we returned home from that short trip away, Nora went limp in my arms & stopped breathing for a moment, which landed us in the hospital. (It was labeled a B.R.U.E) I had lost my husband, almost lost my brother, could have lost my dad, and my youngest stopped breathing for a moment. What a BRUTAL 3 months… I’m still amazed I didnt have a heart attack from stress!

July of 2024, I got news that my Meemaw had passed. She had been declining but getting the news was tough. Just 4 months after losing Josh. I was super close to her most of my life. Spent months at a time at her home every summer. Any time you would call she would say “Hey Liz, When are you coming to visit?”

August of 2024, my mom went into rehab to regain control over her life and be a part of our lives. I truly thought I had lost my mom for good to addiction. When she agreed to commit to recovery, I was angry from the hurt I felt & with how it all spiraled & I had to walk away to save myself… And that was very hard because she had been my best friend most of my life. 8 months were lost in our relationship but She has been sober a year & a half now, and the good Lord has worked so many things out for our family that the pieces did in fact get pieced back together.

November of 2024, Nora was hospitalized because of dehydration due to a stomach virus, coupled with congestion, strider (croup), and a double ear infection. Stella and I had just gotten over it. We all had already been very sick on and off that year but this was rough. (Can you see the exhaustion in my eyes?)

And it ended in December, with some confrontation from a few people, because I wasn’t what/who they thought I should be to them by that point in my grief, which resulted in more distance. ( I didn’t take that attack lightly & God gave me peace over this, which was all I needed)

2024 was brutal, and I survived. Let this be of some encouragement to you if you are facing tough times and dont know if you will survive it. You can, and you will. No ones journey is the same, but the feelings are similar and they run deep. In hindsight, I was drowning that year. Not a conversation many want to have. I had just enough strength each day to survive. The stress alone from it all should have killed me, but there is still a purpose for me on this earth, a few being to raise my kids and tell my story.

As the saying goes, you should never judge a book by its cover. You have no idea the chapters that have been written for someone, nor should you have to, to be kind.

I will never apologize to anyone for how I have & am currently handing my grief. My #1 goal was to survive in 2024, and that is what I did. Now, my #1 goal is to protect. If you brought unnecessary chaos to my table during my hardest season of life, your seat has likely been removed from my table.