"my dad has been given days to live", my friend's text read.

my heart instantly broke for her because i know what the next few days entail. the sitting and waiting. the praying that God would end her dad's suffering yet trying to process what that means for the one praying it. the questions. the pain. the uncertainty. everything. every single thing.

it brought me right back to february 2nd when i was sitting at my mom's bedside, holding her hand, telling her i love her, giving her permission to go, the whole works, which naturally led to february 3rd when she took her last breath right before my very eyes.

grief has a way of interrupting your life.

without fail, a mother and son have come into my restaurant every tuesday and thursday since it opened over five years a go. a couple months a go, i noticed the mother deteriorating; she got to the point where she couldn't even finish one very small piece of toast. a week later, she never returned. neither of them did. until yesterday, that is. the son came back, only this time with his brother. i couldn't get rid of the pit in my stomach for the life of me. i didn't have to ask; i knew. and it brought me back to the meal i had with my siblings right after my mom passed away.

no matter how hard you try, you can't escape it; grief follows you everywhere.