I Turned My Late Mom’s ’80s Wedding Dress Into a Bridal Mini for My Own Big Day

When you lose a parent, grief becomes a quiet presence at every milestone. Happy occasions like birthdays, graduations, or a new home don’t feel quite like they should, each one ever so slightly tainted by the thought that someone so important is missing. I lost my mom when I was 17: the terminal diagnosis was quick, leaving us—me, my three siblings, and our dad—in a tornado of panic, confusion, and grief.