Happy Birthday!

She's supposed to be 26 years old today. She was supposed to be celebrating with her family and friends today. Who knows, maybe she'd even be celebrating with her husband and child(ren) today. There are so many things she SHOULD be doing today, tomorrow and the next day.

But instead, we have a 5k walk.

Instead, we buy balloons and go to the cemetery.

Instead, we try and move with the loss we feel. We acknowledge the pain in private, intimate moments when no-one is around and, occasionally, on public days like the one we'll have this weekend. Days when people gather to honor what she meant to those of us lucky enough to have held her in our hearts, for at least a little while, and when those who never had the chance to meet her gather to show their love and respect for us.

This is my favorite picture of her, though she never really took a bad picture.

She was such a beautiful kid.

Happy Birthday Cait!

This. Sucks.