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Catherine Soto Barajas

@catherinebarajas

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Forever5💙🕊AMB | Grieving mama of 3 (1 in Heaven) 💙 Spreading kindness + hope through healing & mental wellness tools ⤵️

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I want you to know…

He was more than the headlines.

He was joyful. He was the first to laugh,even at his own jokes. He was hilarious. Goofy. Loyal. Full of life.

He made everyone feel like they belonged, like they were enough. He made strangers feel like friends, and friends feel like family.

He’d hug me every single night. He’d hold my hand without hesitation.🥲🥹

He was kind, and not just the easy kind.
The intentional kind , the kind that looks you in the eye and makes you feel seen. 🫶🏼❤️

He sang and danced in the kitchen.
He had big dreams.
He loved hard.

That’s the Anthony I remember.
That’s the Anthony I carry.
That’s the Anthony I hope the world never forgets.

We lost Anthony in a way no one should ever have to. But his life? His joy? His kindness? That’s what I’ll spend the rest of my days sharing.

I love you my sweet son. Miss you so much Anthony!!💙🕊️

#grievingmother #grievingparents #sayhisname #griefjourney #wemissyou #anthonymichaelbarajas #anthonymichaelbarajasfoundation by @catherinebarajas

This is the moment Anthony took his last breath on earth and his first in Heaven.

“Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
Matthew 25:23

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:43 💙🕊

Please keep our family in your prayers as we carry this moment with deep pain, abiding love, and unshakable faith.

#grievingmother #childloss #grievingparents #neverforgotten #forever5 #saytheirnames #anthonymichaelbarajas #anthonymichaelbarajasfoundation by @catherinebarajas

by @catherinebarajas

Today is All Souls’ Day. Before I lost Anthony, I used to think of this day as a beautiful occasion to honor and pray for older family members, such as our grandparents, great grandparents, & ancestors. That was such a beautiful, innocent, & ignorant way of looking at it.

What it means to me now is so different. This day includes so many more who have gone before us. Never did I think it would include one of my own children. I’ve always prayed for my children’s souls and their continued relationship with Jesus so that “one day” they would be welcomed into Heaven and run into our Father’s arms. But that was supposed to be when they were older, after we lived a long, full life that I would be able to witness. It was supposed to be after I left this world. They were supposed to be attending All Souls’ Mass for me & for their dad, not the other way around.

Well, that is not the way life worked out. Everything has been rearranged. Tonight, I will walk into All Souls’ Mass to pray for my father, who passed away 4 months ago, & my only son, Anthony, who left this earth 5 years and 3 months ago. I will also remember all of my elderly family members & friends. And I will remember all the children of the grieving moms I have connected with over the past 5 years. Believe me when I say, there are so many parents who continue to experience the intense pain & sorrow that come along with losing their children, their hopes, and their dreams. Death is not exclusive to the elderly. Deep down inside, I really just thought of today as always being reserved for the old.

Today, I ask you to remember all those who have gone before us. Pray that they have been fully welcomed into the arms of Jesus. I pray especially today for Anthony Michael, my dad, my grandparents, great grandparents, Princess Debbie, & all of my grieving mamas’ children.

Please also pray for those who have died & been forgotten, whose names are no longer mentioned, & who no longer have family here to pray for them.

Eternal rest , grant unto them , oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest by @catherinebarajas

But now all I have are memories and your spirit with me. 25 years ago at 4:44pm, you were placed in my arms. I never knew what life had in store for us, but even if I had known, I still would have chosen almost 20 beautiful years with you son. I love you with all of my broken heart Anthony. Until we meet again.. I hope you and Papa are celebrating your big 25th💙💙🕊️🕊️ by @catherinebarajas

I can’t believe it’s coming up on five years. Still shocked, still sad, still grieving. Never forgotten. If this resonates#griefjourney #grievingparents with you, you’re not alone. by @catherinebarajas

My heart feels so conflicted right now.

This week, we will celebrate my dad’s life. Ive been helping plan his funeral, getting ready to say goodbye and honor what a great man he was.

At the very same time, I can feel another date quietly approaching. In just a few weeks , it will be five years since our lives were was forever changed.

I never imagined I would be walking into my dad’s funeral while my heart was already bracing itself for the hardest time of year. But grief doesn’t wait for convenient timing. It simply asks to be carried.

It’s hard to explain what it feels like to grieve as a daughter while being a grieving mother to my only son. One loss is fresh. The other is five years old, but still feels fresh and yet somehow, they both hurt in their own way.

As I prepare to say goodbye to my dad, I’m also reliving the days leading up to July 26th. My body remembers before my mind even has a chance to catch up. The heaviness creeps in, the memories become louder, and I find myself carrying two heartbreaks at the same time.

People sometimes think grief gets easier because time passes. What I’ve learned is that grief simply changes. It teaches you how to carry what can never be put down.

I’m grateful my dad lived a full and beautiful life. He had 89 years filled with faith, family, and love. I will miss him deeply every day.

I’m forever heartbroken that my son didn’t get that same gift. Anthony had so much life still ahead of him and so many dreams . That ache will always live in me.

As we walk through these next several days and weeks, I would be grateful for your prayers.

If you are grieving, you are not alone💙💙#healingjourney #griefjourney by @catherinebarajas

Sharing my dad’s funeral service information for anyone who has been asking.

All are welcome as we gather to celebrate my dad’s life and honor his memory.

July 15th 2026
Rosary- 11:30 a.m
Funeral- 12:00 p.m. by @catherinebarajas

Today, on Father’s Day, we said goodbye to my dad.

There are no words that truly capture the heartbreak of losing someone who has been a constant presence your entire life. Just hours ago, I held his hand, laid beside him, and had the privilege of telling him how much I loved him as he took his last breath surrounded by the people who loved him most.

My dad was a man of quiet strength. He was reliable, trustworthy, and steady. He was the person you could call when you needed guidance, and the person you could confide in knowing your words were safe with him. He never judged. He listened. He loved deeply, and he led by example.

He raised six children alongside my mom, dedicating his life to his family. As kids, he loved us with discipline and purpose. As adults, he loved us with respect, support, and unwavering encouragement. He was a devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a man whose character spoke louder than words ever could.

While our hearts are broken, there is also peace in knowing that he passed gently, surrounded by love. Being able to hold his hand and be with him until the very end is a gift I will carry with me forever.

Of all days to leave this earth, my dad left us on Father’s Day, a day that perfectly reflects who he was and the legacy he leaves behind.

And while we grieve the loss of his physical presence, I find comfort in imagining a beautiful reunion in Heaven. Tonight, I picture Anthony wrapping his arms around his Papa, welcoming him home with that unforgettable smile. The thought of them together again brings a measure of peace to a day filled with so much sadness.

Dad, thank you for your love, your wisdom, your integrity, and the countless ways you showed up for us throughout your 89 years. We will miss your physical presence more than words can express, but your love and the lessons you taught us will remain with us always.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

Give Anthony a hug from all of us.

Until we meet again ❤️ by @catherinebarajas

Today is Bereaved Mother’s Day.

A day that holds space for the kind of love that never leaves, even when our child is no longer physically here.

This day is for every mother grieving
the past we miss, the present we feel,
and the future we won’t get to experience.

Grief doesn’t take away our motherhood.
It deepens it.

Anthony, you are forever a part of me.
I carry you in everything I do. 💙🕊

To every grieving mom walking this path,
I see you, I feel you, and I stand with you. 🤍

#BereavedMothersDay #Forever5 #GriefAndLove #InMemoryOfAnthony by @catherinebarajas

Grief is like a backpack
I never get to take off.

I carry it everywhere I go.

Some days it’s manageable.
Some days it’s heavy.

But it’s part of me now.

So I adjust…
and keep going. 🤍

If you’re carrying something heavy too,
you’re not alone. by @catherinebarajas

Last night I dreamed my son Anthony came home.

In the dream he called and said it had all been a mistake and he was coming home. Our family was hugging him and celebrating with so much joy.

Then I woke up.

Grief dreams can feel incredibly real. Sometimes they leave you starting the day with shock, heaviness, and longing all over again.

For those navigating traumatic loss or PTSD, this is actually something many people experience. Our brains process love, trauma, and memory while we sleep.

If you’ve ever woken up from a dream about someone you love and felt like your heart cracked open again… you’re not alone. 🤍🕊️#grievingparents #grievingmother #griefjourney #healingjourney

If this has happened to you too, know that you’re not alone in this kind of grief🤍💙 by @catherinebarajas