We’re on our way to Cook Forest State Park. We’ll probably arrive around 11 AM and the boys are really excited.

I’m not feeling so well this morning. It’s not that I’m sick, I’m just heartbroken. The truth at its most fundamental level is that I miss my wife. This is really hard for me because I have to be strong for the kids but at the same time, I’ve also lost my best friend. I don’t really know what to do anymore. Every part of me is grieving and it’s sometime hard to hold it together.

In a way, I feel like it’s good for the kids to see me grieving at times because it’s a reminder that they aren’t alone. This is devastating for all four of us.

I’m hoping today’s trip is a way to get our footing. We may run into weather but it’s a risk we’re willing to take to try and give them some normalcy before school starts next week.