Sisterhood, Reimagined.

This past weekend, my sister-cousin Moriah got married, and I’m still taking it all in. She was glowing, full of joy, full of peace, and completely herself. Seeing her say “I do” to Jaison, a genuinely kind and solid man who adores her, was beautiful in every way. It was one of those moments where everything feels aligned. Sacred even.

But for me, it also carried something deeper.

In 2005, I lost my sister, Christiana. She was just 10 years old. Losing her left a permanent hole in my heart—a grief that shaped the way I saw the world and moved through life. As time passed, I learned to carry it, but the ache never fully went away.

When Moriah turned 10, the same age Christiana was when she passed, I struggled. It was hard to be around her without being reminded of what I lost. I found myself thinking about all the things Christiana never got to do… and Moriah, without knowing it, became this walking reminder of that.

But over time, something really beautiful happened.

I started to see Moriah not just as my cousin, but as my little sister. Our bond deepened. I cheered her on, prayed over her life, and started to dream with her. And in doing that, I began to heal in a way I hadn’t expected.

I found myself imagining: What would Christiana have been like at this age? Would she have gotten married right out of college, too? Would she have picked someone as thoughtful and grounded as Jaison? Would we have had this same kind of joy?

Moriah gave me space to dream again, not from a place of sorrow, but from love. Through her life, I’ve been able to live out moments I never got to have with Christiana. And instead of triggering grief, it’s brought a strange, sacred kind of comfort.

Watching her dance at her wedding, seeing her laugh with her whole body, I felt something shift in me. Not just sadness for what I lost, but deep gratitude for what I’ve been given. Moriah has never tried to replace Christiana, but somehow, she’s helped fill a space that I thought would always stay empty.

So to Moriah: thank you for being you. For being open to my love, even when it came from a tender and broken place. For letting me see glimpses of what could’ve been, while also showing me how beautiful what is can be.

You are a gift. A living, breathing reminder that God finds ways to restore, even the deepest losses.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3