You did not die that day

The first time you forget his death in days,

Don’t berate yourself for taking a moment for yourself,

After all you did not die that day.

When you laugh, the first laughter of joy,

Don’t pull the sorrow of your heart to your eyes,

It’s okay to find reasons to smile,

For you did not die.

And when you hear a song that reminds you of him,

Do not rush to numb that ache in your throat.

It’s okay to hurt when you come across pieces of him

Without really expecting to,

It’s okay to feel melancholy sing through your veins,

After all you did not die that day.

When his name comes up in conversations,

It’s okay to not want to say his name out loud.

It’s okay to get angry when people get their facts misplaced,

It’s okay to stand up and defend actions you still do not understand.

He knew you would champion him,

So he left this fight to you.

If this is your fight, then imagine what his fight must have been.

Allow yourself room to doubt your ability to fight this,

But remember his trust in you.

It’s okay to feel helpless, sometimes,

Because you didn’t die that day.

And as long as you shall live

You’ll have to take turns to be happy and be hurt

You cannot close yourself to the pain or the pleasure,

He wouldn’t want you to do either;

You did not die that day, he would whisper.