30/01/2026
We often mark a life by two dates: a birth date and a date of death. Neatly printed. Clearly defined.
But grief teaches us that a life was never lived in those dates alone. Neither of the dates define the person.
What matters most is the dash in between.
That small line holds everything - the ordinary mornings and life-changing moments, the love given and received, the mistakes, the laughter, the tears, the becoming. It holds every single day that person showed up in the world, whether loudly or quietly. The legacy.
And when someone we love dies, we often realize the responsibility of our own dash ~
Living after loss can feel overwhelming when we look too far ahead. So grief gently invites us to narrow our focus.
Not to forever, but to today. To live this one day. This one breath. This one moment. Because living doesn’t ask for perfection or bravery in bulk. It asks for presence, one day at a time.
The dash is built slowly. Consistently. Imperfectly. Forward.
The dash holds space for keeping the memories and creating new ones. Every day brings opportunities to give life your greatest gift - your presence ✨️
To live every day is not to rush healing, or have everything figured out. It is the practice of gratitude, hope and embracing joy - to let the dash stretch gently forward, and the courage it takes to keep going - today.
You only die once.
But you live every day.
And every day, you are adding meaning to your dash.
One day at a time.
With love, Mariandra 🤍
