Because of Emily
A Grief Blog Centered Around Stories of Love and Loss
Sharing Emily, One Story at a Time
Welcome to Because of Emily, a grief blog where love and loss intertwine. Here, I share stories of my love, Emily—her life, her legacy, and how she inspires me even after her death.
Emily had big dreams for the future, dreams to make the world a better place. While she only completed a small number of these goals, I believe that sharing my grief journey with others can help her continue to change the world, even in death.
I hope that sharing my story helps others recognize the complexities of grief and embrace life wholeheartedly, just the way Emily did.
"Live a Wholehearted Life"
These were the words Emily lived by from the moment she received a life-changing heart transplant on December 23, 2017 until she died almost five years later. She felt a profound calling to make the most of her life and maintain her donor’s legacy. Now, I am doing the same, keeping both Emily (and her donor) alive through the stories I share and the actions I take to make this world a better place.
Recent Reflections
Because the Pleasure Was More Than Worth the Pain
Earlier this week, I threw a question out into the universe of social media: "If you've lost a spouse, what's something you've learned along your journey that you wish you'd known beforehand (or at least sooner than you did)?If you haven't yet experienced this type of...
Because I’ll Never Be Her
During my therapy session yesterday, we spent the last 15 or so minutes talking about how revisiting my values and goals went. Thankfully, my values didn't seem to shift at all in the aftermath of the breakup with Kaylee. And, with the exception of a few goals...
Because I Never Liked Him
I have a love-hate relationship with the Memories feature on Facebook. I greatly enjoy when it provides pictures or videos of the kids when they were younger, and I often laugh over the ridiculous stuff I posted when I was in college. But then there are days like...
Because We Got High
I built a desk this evening. The directions said it would be best to build it with two people, but I'm home alone and always up for a challenge, so I decided to try it solo. Around 9:00 pm, I realized I never really ate dinner, so I decided to have half of an edible...
Because She Loved Costumes
This year is probably the best Halloween the kids have had since 2021. Sure, it rained this evening and ruined our plans to Trick-or-Treat with some of our friends, but the costumes they had for this year were awesome and we got plenty of candy at the Trunk-or-Treat...
Because We Were Finally Home
I don't know what it is about visiting Knoxville, but I always come home feeling clear-headed and refreshed. I think it's partially all of the time I spend at the cemetery, as it's become a cathartic place for me to spill out all of the thoughts and emotions I'm too...