When your sibling dies, you will experience gut-punch grief.

When your sibling dies, you will see your parents cry like never before.

When your sibling dies, you will stare up at the sky searching for a familiar face in the clouds.

When your sibling dies, you question everything, including God’s goodness because siblings aren’t supposed to die. Siblings are supposed to grow old with you, reminiscing about the good ‘ole days, inside jokes, and crazy family vacations.

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When a sibling dies, you will learn what “bereaved” means. You will realize that life is hard and it can be cut way too short.

There will always be an empty chair around the family table.

Every holiday will be a little off because a sibling is missing. Every get-together feels a little empty because someone is missing.

But life goes on when a sibling dies. And then you will wonder if people remember you as the girl who lost a sibling, or even worse, will they remember at all? But you will never forget. 

Yes, life goes on when a sibling dies. A best man will be missing from weddings, a friend will be missing from milestone celebrations, and a partner in crime will be missing from life’s wild adventures. 

Yes, you will have to tell the story to your children, to tell them of their uncle in Heaven. You will even have to have these conversations with strangers unless you choose to leave out details of your life. And some days you will choose to leave out the details because you just don’t want to talk about it.

When a sibling dies, you will have to walk through all the stages of grief, and it may take a few years to heal. You will relive fond memories and last moments together. You will regret things, you will forget things, and then you will remember things when you least expect it. You will carry secrets and stories in your heart forever. 

When your sibling dies, you will not understand life.

You will question God. You will wish things could have been different. You will walk a lonely road because this type of grief can be misunderstood and overlooked. 

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You will grieve and you will question God, but one day, you will find peace. You will make peace with what happened. You will find ways to celebrate your sibling. You will help others who have walked the same road. You will stop searching the clouds and start living to honor their legacy. You will remember, you will forget, and then you will be reminded of them in the most beautiful ways—like the twinkle in your daughter’s eye and the smile on your son’s face. 

When a sibling dies, you will carry them forever in your heart until you are reunited in Heaven. And while you wish life could have been different, you will be so thankful they will always be your sibling. Always.