Emails, handwritten letters, cardboard boxes, empty shelves, memories. That's all I have left of you. I miss you sometimes; or, perhaps it's I really miss the idea of you. My body still recalls the persistent heart-dropping falling sensation of utter gut-wrenching shock when I let you go. But when you want what's best for someone, sometimes that means you're no longer part of their equation. Accepting that hurts, but you can only hope someone would be brave enough to do the same.

Loss is an emotion that transcends humanity. Whether it's as simple as losing your house keys or significant as the loss of a dear friend, people and animals both express earnest joy when we've found something precious and deep sorrow when it eventually disappears. When reflecting on what I've lost, memories come flooding (I've always had a detailed memory). The little subtleties seem to sting the worst.

The act of "letting go" requires a tremendous amount of bravery. It's scary to imagine a future without that person or that thing. But when all's said, overcoming a loss can make us stronger in many ways. If there's absolutely nothing in the universe we can do to fix the situation, it's futile to wish we could somehow go back in time. The last of the seven stages of grief is acceptance. Life's too short to cling to worries about things we can't change. The moment we have is "now". And right now, I'm here without you.