I honestly don’t know how to start this post. I considered taking an unannounced hiatus after last month’s events. But then, who reads this blog, and who am I writing it for? Despite the challenges of the month, I still want to document it. Writing is my ultimate form of catharsis.

If the month were like a line graph, the line would be all over the place, with very high peaks and extreme lows. I had plans lined up for April—things I was excited about—but life threw us a curveball, and everything changed in the blink of an eye.

I had been looking forward to birthdays, summer fun, anime, and some time off from work, but life had other plans. April was marked by my grandmother’s deteriorating health. This wasn’t unexpected, as my grandmother was already 95 and had many health issues. Given her advanced age, we knew it would happen eventually, but it was still traumatic to witness her life fade away, and then suddenly, she was gone.

I was given the huge responsibility of arranging her funeral on my own. I didn’t even do this for my dad, as I have two older siblings who took on that role. I was crying the entire time, overwhelmed by the responsibility and the shock of the situation. I was exhausted. My family didn’t know what to do either, so I begged my mother to ask our relatives for help, and I was relieved when they responded to our call for assistance. I was at my wits’ end.

To be honest, my grandmother and I were not particularly close, but she was family and under our care. She would sometimes share strange and annoying old wives’ tales that didn’t always make sense, yet I admired her resilience and her determination to live to 95. Five years short of a century? Not many people are granted such a long life. In retrospect, as you live longer, you will encounter situations like this again. It’s never going to be easy, but it’s part of life. It was fortunate that grandma reached an era when videos and photos were common, capturing her life in moments. Dad didn’t have the same opportunity, which makes me a bit sad now that I think about it.

However, April wasn’t solely filled with sadness. I achieved things despite the circumstances, and that’s where I want to direct my focus moving forward. It’s time to leave that difficult period behind. Life moves on. Gradually, I’m catching up on my watchlist, neglected series updates, ongoing projects, personal errands, and, of course, my blog. Life continues to flow like this.

As I move forward, I’m taking things one step at a time, focusing on what I can control and finding some comfort in small victories. I’m praying that the next chapter will bring better days.