It's been a bittersweet week for Bobbie Thomas.
The TODAY style contributor posted a tribute to her late husband, Michael Marion, on their wedding anniversary on Tuesday to keep his memory alive.
“Missing Michael today (our anniversary), feeling grateful to have known a love like his. Thank you for the kindness and supportive words you continue to share. 💕,” the 47-year-old captioned her post.
Life without her husband has been challenging for Thomas, but she shared that she is healing as best as she can and offered a message of hope to her followers.
“I’m finding my way, but feel the need to say — if you know loss, I see you, and it really hurts. If you know someone carrying loss, please pause,” she wrote. “You don’t to have say the right thing (or anything). Just be... be there. Offer a hug. Reach out. Show up.”
In 2020, Marion died at age 42. The year before, he suffered an ischemic stroke and faced many health issues afterwards.
“Michael worked hard to recover from his stroke and had made such progress that he was making plans to return to work,” Thomas said in a statement shortly after her husband's death. “He landed in the hospital due to problems involving several organ systems, separate from his stroke of 18 months ago, and unrelated to COVID-19.”
The couple tied the knot in 2013 at Kathie Lee Gifford’s home in Connecticut and welcomed a baby boy named Miles Thomas Marion in July 2015.
Since her husband's death in late 2020, Thomas has worked hard to keep his memory alive for Miles. In the fall, she honored Marion's memory on what would've been his 43rd birthday.
“October was a month filled with ✨celebrations✨ (& sweets). Up first was Michael’s birthday… Miles & I brought donuts to the beach — a favorite pastime they shared,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
In June 2021, Thomas told TODAY's Hoda Kotb that taking care of Miles had helped her start the healing process.
“I can’t imagine going through this alone, and I know a lot of people are,” she said at the time. “He really is the reason I got up, and I have gratitude for being loved.”
The single mother is also eager to talk with Miles about his late father so he feels connected to him.
“I talk about Michael, and I think it’s really important that (Miles is) surrounded by him. Pictures. He has so many vivid memories. He comes walking in, he’s like, ‘Mom, look, Dad’s favorite candy,’” she said. “It’s like, ‘Is this an excuse to eat the candy?’”