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The late James Van Der Beek was only 48 years old when he died in February.
Over the weekend, his widow honored him once again.
On what would have been their 16th wedding anniversary, she shared beloved family throwbacks.
Each milestone like this is another reminder of all that she has lost.
‘I was the luckiest woman in the world’
On Sunday, August 2, Kimberly Van Der Beek took to her Instagram page to share a bittersweet message.
“16 years ago I was the luckiest woman in the world to marry @vanderjames,” she began her caption.
“The beauty of this marriage continues to unfold every day with all these incredible children we have,” James’ widow affirmed.
Kimberly expressed: “He continues to be present and guide us.”
She concluded her caption: “I’m eternally grateful.”
The post itself was a series of photos.
Each was a throwback to when James was alive.
The first three photos showed James and Kimberly together. Couples selfies.
The final photo was a group hug featuring all six of the couple’s children.
This was a beautiful sentiment on what must have been a very bittersweet occasion.
He passed away on February 11
On August 1, 2010, James and Kimberly married.
As we noted, they went on to share six children — ranging from a teenager to a preschooler.
Olivia is 15. Joshua is 14. Annabel is 12. Emilia is 10. Gwendolyn is 8. And little Jeremiah is 4.
Like their mother, they are grappling with this loss and processing their new reality.
Most of the family’s grief is private. And, for the most part, only Kimberly is posting publicly. Tat is appropriate, given her children’s ages.
Kimberly has shared other tributes to her late husband.
She honored him on what would have been his birthday, March 8.
(At that time, his passing was still very new.)
Additionally, she shared a tribute to James on Father’s Day — the first that her children have ever known without their dad.
Each milestone may grow easier over time, but not necessarily in a linear manner. Grief is difficult and lingers for years and even decades.
