Granger Smith’s wife, Amber, is honoring her 3-year-old son, River, one year after he passed away. The child drowned in the family’s swimming pool on June 6, 2019.
“365 days since I held your curious, playful, vivacious spirit alive,” Amber began in an Instagram post. “It’s hard for me to grasp that I’ve been without you a third of the time I had with you. Time doesn’t make sense. Heck, most of life doesn’t make sense. Today, I’m holding on to hope. I’m lifting my gaze to what is unseen and instead of letting myself go down a bad road of guilt, pain, and anger, I’m going to praise. I’m going to thank God for you. You changed me forever, River Kelly. As I type this, I’m looking at the beautiful sun, and the thousands of yellow wildflowers I know you would have brought to me with the biggest smile on your face.
“I know God is working,” she continued. “I know He will bring healing, new joy and transformation of our hearts through this pain. I know that when everything seems impossible, God will carry me and I know I will see you again. Until then, I will praise, I will fight, I will live for you with an open heart to try to learn and grow and trust God’s plan. My worst day was your best, little man, as you woke up in the arms of Jesus. I miss you. I love you. We can do this.”
Both Granger and Amber have been open with their fans about their grief in the year since River’s untimely death. They have also become outspoken advocates for water safety, since River managed to get past a locked pool gate and into the water, while the entire family was playing outside.
“I was 15 feet from the gate, which is something that will haunt me the rest of my life,” Granger said after River passed away (via The Boot). “I was 15 feet from that water, doing gymnastics. A, him getting there is an almost impossible feat, and B, him silently getting into the water is beyond any of us understanding.”
Amber recently shared important water safety tips on social media, especially as families head to the beach and pool over the summer, hoping to prevent another tragedy like the one the Smiths have endured.
“We used to love swimming, but I wish I would have taken EXTRA safety measures for our family,” Amber acknowledged. “For one, we always used puddle jumpers. I wasn’t aware of the dangers of them … Please use [Coast Guard] approved life jackets if you must, on boats and open water, etc. I also wish we would have enrolled in swim survival lessons and done it sooner. Children can learn to float and should be enrolled in survival lessons at an early age.
“I wish I would have had an extra lock on our gate or a pool alarm,” she continued. “So many what ifs. Water is fun but it is also so dangerous. I will never look at water the same again. I don’t think I will ever enjoy a pool again. I’m open and vulnerable because I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”