"Unfair and unbearable": Jock Zonfrillo's widow shares emotional family milestone
Jock Zonfrillo's widow has shared another first for their grieving family, as she told of Jock's "unbearable" absence at their child's birthday party.
Lauren Fried, Jock's wife who now runs his Instagram account, posted a series of photos from her daughter Isla's first birthday without her "Papa".
Lauren reflected on the emotional day, and the reality of her late husband not being there with their family.
In a lengthy caption, she wrote, "We had Isla’s first birthday party without her Papa."
She went on to explain what previous birthdays were like before Jock's sudden passing, writing, "Jock would have been up all night the day before, the first one out of bed in the morning. Menu planning for weeks."
"Then I would have fallen asleep on Jock’s chest after the party, talking through how it went, if Isla had a good time, did people eat and drink enough, would she remember any of it."
Lauren then explained how this year's party looked to their grieving family, explaining, "This year I did a BBQ and the rest of the food was outsourced to my sister and Mark. [Ava Zonfrillo] blew up the balloons. Uber delivered the cake. I cried as I dressed the kids. I fell asleep without Jock."
She went on to share how bittersweet the day was, saying, "For Jock to miss these days seems unfair and unbearable, and another of the firsts we are pushing through as a family."
Despite their grief, Lauren said their family is slowly starting to heal.
"Our little ones are finding joy again, they are being the happy and cheeky children they always were, and I’m grateful that life keeps dragging us forward day by day."
Commenters shared their support for the family, with one writing, “Firsts are the hardest, it’s like losing them all over again 😔. Keep being strong for you, your family and the gorgeous children you had with Jock.”
Jock Zonfrillo was found dead in a hotel room in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton on April 30th after police were called for a welfare check.
Image credits: Instagram