One year on and I miss you just as much as ever..... I don't know how I got through this year without you. I think about you every single day and talk about you all the time, you are always included in my conversations with friends, the memories, the laughs and the things that 'got on my nerves'. It's important for me to keep your memory real, I don't want you to become an idolised memory, I want to remember you with all your strengths and weaknesses, your humour and your bad temper! The laughter and the sadness. What have I learned from this last year without you? I've learned to appreciate simpler things in life - family, friends, not taking others for granted. I've learned to express my emotions, become more empathetic towards other people's loss, less concerned with what's on the outside and more what's on the inside. I've learned that grief can sneak up on you and take you unawares, even when you think you are over the worst! I've learned that you never 'get over' your loss, just learn to handle it better. I've learned not to take life for granted. I will never ever forget you Al, you were and still are, my one true love. xx