Whether we are ready or not, life continues and time marches on. We all have to adjust to new normals, even when we don’t think we can.

In October of 2012 my sister Vanessa got one of those recordable books where you can read the book and …

So I will breathe in and try to believe: Today we ache. Tomorrow we remember our ache, so when we see it in others we do not shut our eyes to their pain.

What 2 years of grieving have looked, sounded and felt like. Grieving is hard work, ya’ll.

October 15 is Vanessa’s birthday; she would be 34 today. We’re doing random acts of kindness in her honor.

A letter to Vanessa, one year since she died. We’ve had 365 days of life with V missing from it, and 365 days of us missing her.

Something I hadn’t fully considered was that without my sister, the dynamic of every other relationship I had would be changed, too.

A love story (in pictures). Love is bigger than cancer. LOVE WINS.

I have found, in these days that bustle with life but still feel silent, that I don’t know yet who I am without V reflecting back to me her view of myself.

I couldn’t figure out if I wanted to title this post “The End” or “The Beginning” – so I went with “The Middle” and that ended up feeling just right.

Vanessa’s memorial service was a wonderful celebration of a wonderful life. We are so grateful to all who helped us honor her.

The eulogy we wrote together and read together at Vanessa’s celebration of life.

Vanessa took her last breaths on Sunday, Feb. 23, surrounded by love.

The current rapidly changing situation suggests we are in our last few days with Vanessa. Thank you so much for your continued support.

In 2006 I gave my sister Vanessa a little song called “Pictures” for her wedding. With V likely bedridden now, I’m a bit taken aback by its prescience.

“For, while the tale of how we suffer… is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness.”

The individual cells in her body don’t know they are, as a team, losing the war. Each little cell in Vanessa is constantly, valiantly fighting against the cancer. She is exhausted.

Vanessa is sitting on my couch, and is constantly in my memories, and is sometimes in my tears, but I’m missing her soul in this year’s Christmas time.

Living and loving impatiently sincere, as my dying sister has shown me how to do her whole life – My last act starts now. When will you live yours?

There are lots of recent changes in Vanessa’s health to report, and as usual never enough time to communicate them …

A huge milestone passed by recently, rather unceremoniously – July 31 marked a full year of Vanessa being in hospice …

Just wanted to pass along an update on Vanessa’s health today. Recently what she calls her “eye bump,” a tumor …

What I thought I’d be saying in this update Vanessa had a brain scan recently. I had an update post …

The post that follows was written by Billy Tiemeier, Vanessa’s husband. You may remember that he wrote a first “guest …