“Blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Hello, all. Danielle, here. It’s been ten years. How it’s already been ten years is beyond me. I’ll be honest, I’ve been dreading the 10th anniversary. It’s something I’ve been anticipating for quite some time and I’m not sure why. I have said a couple times: it makes it feel like, real real, as if the past ten years have not been “real” at all. I don’t know what it is about Year 10, but here we are. I’m happy to report, though, I’m typing away with a soft smile on my face, embracing the familiarity of writing for “The Blog.”
I used to describe grief as being a wave that topples over you and leaves you gasping for air. Over the past ten years, I’ve found grief is not all bad. It’s special. It’s a connection to something you once had. It’s something that reminds you to take a moment, look back, and remember the person you love so dearly. Without love, there is no grief. We’ve all lost something or someone and moved on quite swimmingly from it. With love, though, the grief is real. It’s hard. It’s raw. It’s a constant reminder of what was lost and what once was. What a beautiful tragedy grief is. It’s love misplaced. We have all this love in the world for someone and then one day, they’re gone. What are we to do with that love?
We cry. We laugh. We share memories. We mope. We toil over the moments that sting us as we think of what might have been done better if given another chance. We cherish the moments we had, holding them dear to our hearts. We take a moment to think, “I wish they were here” and then proceed to honor them in the ways we enjoy the times despite the lack of their presence. We cry through songs and scents that take us back to a moment in time. We pray for strength. We thank those who give us an extra hug on days we need it. We love fearlessly, knowing that time is short and moments are fleeting. We pray, we hug, we cope. And if you’re anything like the Newcombes, you cope with humor.
As cliche as it is, it’s true: times without them don’t get easier, you just learn to live with it. You learn to anticipate. You learn to cry. You learn to pray through it. You learn to talk about it. You learn to share. You learn to sit in it and then set it down. You learn life moves forward. And if you’re my father, you (hopefully) learn how to fold the damn fitted sheets.
It’s been 10 years since we lost Mom. Life has happened fast for all of us. Life has continued even though there were moments in which we thought it would stop when we lost her. Life has been lived in the past ten years and I think there is no better way for us to honor Mom. With our lives, we have carried Mom with us. We carry the memories, the lessons, the joy.
What a joy it has been to walk through the past ten years with the people we have, both people who knew Mom and people who only know her through pictures and stories. Each year we walk through without Mom is a year we learn more about who we are and a chance to share the impact she had on us. The love lives on.
We decided to publish a blog post today to honor Mom and reach out to the circle of loved ones (COLOs, as Mom coined it) who walked through this journey with us. While the blog is no longer a part of our everyday lives, we still carry the impact it had on us in our hearts. We have grown a lot over the past ten years and will continue to grow throughout our lives. We’re lucky to have shared some of it with you all.
Onward we go, team, fighting the good fight, running the good race, and living the good life. I hope today, wherever you are in this world and in life, you take a moment to stop, breathe, and smile, because God is good, life is short, and we are here.
So, as my mother-in-law said to me, Happy Memory Day to you all. Thank you for sharing this with us.
P.S. If you would like to connect and “catch up” please email me at daninewcombeslp@gmail.com We lost a lot of contact over the years just because life is busy, but some people commented asking how we all were and while we didn’t want this blog post to be a “life update” (with the exception of the photos because I’ll use any excuse to post wedding photos up) I will gladly update you if you send me an email!
Patti Newcombe 
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years your mom so helped me getting into the fitness field and not a day goes by whear I don’t think about Patti she had a heart of gold. We love you and will always miss you ❤️❤️
It’s hard to believe you’re old enough to be married. I took exercise classes with your mother at the East Highland Ranch Clubhouse and sometimes
you girls would be with her. Your mother was a wonderful lady and I’m so glad to see you are doing well.
Danielle, you have your Mom’s gift of the written word. It’s such a testimony to what an incredible influence she had on you. Jon and I were friends of your parents through Dan and Amy McNeal-but we were so happy to know your family. I am so happy to see that you have continued to walk with the Lord through all this and still continue to inspire others and share your faith-your Mom would be so proud of you, as I’m sure your Dad and family are, as well. As your Mom was going through her treatments, I always loved reading her updates and I felt so privileged to be able to pray along with, and for, all of you throughout her illness. She was so completely filled with the Holy Spirit and her light shined in the darkest moments. Thank you for taking the time to remind us of this anniversary (can’t believe it’s been 10 years!!!) And for taking the time to give us a quick update on your marriage. I pray you, Mary, and family are all well. May God bless you and keep you 💕
Have a wonderful holiday season!
Please tell your dad hello from Jon and Brenda Austin
Warmly~ Brenda
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Danielle ~ thank you so much for writing this heart message on the 10th anniversary. God used your Mom in our lives and we will forever be grateful for Patti and all she did for me. She was indeed a shining light, who radiated God’s goodness. We were incredibly blessed to have known her. It was special to see the beautiful wedding pictures! May God continue to bring comfort, love and joy to all of you ~ Blessings, Maureen
Hi Danielle,
Thank you for sharing and including us as you honor your mom on her 10th Anniversary. What a beautiful post!! I think of your mom often and can see her smiling with her baseball cap on. The last time I trained with you, you talked about getting married. What beautiful pictures you shared. Congratulations!
I would love to hear your family updates and stories when you share them.
Continued prayers to you all!!!
💜Karen