A New Chapter
There was a time when Just Keep Fighting was created for cancer warriors. Dave would include a pair of miniature boxing gloves into every donation box and hand write three simple words: "Just Keep Fighting." It was his way of telling someone they weren't alone.
As meaningful as that message was, I've spent years struggling with one part of it, because I've learned that there comes a point in some journeys when fighting isn't the answer anymore. Sometimes the greatest gift isn't another battle. Sometimes it's peace. Sometimes it's comfort. Sometimes it's spending whatever time remains surrounded by the people you love.
After Dave passed away, I couldn't let go of Just Keep Fighting. I renewed the domain year after year because I believed someday I would understand what it was supposed to become. More than four years later, I finally do. This isn't the next chapter for those who are leaving us. It's for those of us who are left behind.
It's for the spouses who wake up to an empty bed. The parents learning how to smile again. The children trying to understand a world without someone they love. The caregivers who gave everything and now don't know who they are anymore. The friends carrying grief that no one else can see. It's for anyone trying to rebuild a life they never asked to rebuild.
Grief doesn't end when the funeral is over. It changes you. Some days simply getting out of bed is the fight. Some days smiling is the fight. Some days believing tomorrow can be better is the fight. That is what Just Keep Fighting is about now. Not fighting death. Not fighting cancer. Fighting for hope. Fighting for healing. Fighting for purpose. Fighting for a life worth living after loss. You don't have to be strong every day. You don't have to have all the answers. You just have to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
Just Keep Fighting. You are not alone.