My closest friend is in the hospital, and we’ve been told she doesn’t have much time left.

Body: She’s only 28. Over the past year, she’s been battling cervical cancer and it’s been heartbreaking to watch someone so full of life slowly lose their strength. She’ll leave behind her husband, her three year old daughter and so many people who love her deeply.

This past year has been one of the hardest experiences of my life. I’ve watched her endure unimaginable pain while doing everything she could to keep fighting. Part of me finds comfort in knowing she won’t have to suffer much longer, but the thought of losing her feels unbearable.

She has been the person I could always turn to the one who listened without judgment, encouraged me when I needed it most and stood by me through everything. I can’t imagine a world where she’s no longer here.

The hardest part is that I can’t even be with her because of the hospital restrictions. Knowing that this is happening while I’m powerless to do anything makes it even more painful.

I don’t know how people process this kind of loss. I don’t know how to make sense of everything I’ve witnessed over the past year. Right now, all I feel is heartbreak and I don’t know where to put it.