August is my birthday month, but birthdays haven’t felt quite the same since losing my mom in May 2019. She was my best friend, my confidant, my first home, and my safe space. She called me her baby girl even well into my 40s—and I never imagined how much I would miss hearing those words. This National Grief Awareness Day, I’m finding my way back to writing and reflecting on the complicated space between celebrating another year of life and grieving the person who brought me into this world.