It’s been heartbreaking watching Nick Cordero’s friends and family mourn his passing.
The fact that we’ve been able to witness so much behind the scenes of his illness and death is a testament to his wife, Amanda Kloots, who has been sharing the process via Instagram every step of the way. Since the actor passed away last week from coronavirus complications, she has continued to be open about her experience with loss and grief.
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On Thursday, she posted a particularly adorable and heart wrenching video of the couple’s 1-year-old son, Elvis, watching a video of his dad. The baby seems genuinely delighted to hear the Broadway star’s voice. Kloots followed up the clip with an explanation:
“I have to tell you the cutest story. … I was showing Elvis videos of Nick and … Elvis saw it and smiled, and I’m not even kidding you, leans into the phone to give his dad a kiss. … I kept playing the video again and he kept trying to press the button. He kept going in and out, kissing the phone, kissing his dad.”
She continued:
“My heart, of course, just melted. In a way, it made me feel so good because it made me feel like he recognizes Nick, you know? Like he knows who he is and he recognizes his dad even though it’s been over three months.”
Trust us, our hearts are melting too.
The fitness trainer later returned to her IG Stories to share part of a letter she wrote for her son about losing Cordero, after which she tearfully spoke to followers about grieving. Amanda explained:
“It’s so funny because grief is such a weird thing and I’ve talked about everything else about this process so it feels oddly wrong not to talk and acknowledge my grief.”
Kloots described herself as a “worker, a doer,” a “Type A” person who wants to “press on” even through the pain. She reflected:
“But when you’re grieving, and when you’re going through something like this, and you go through your day, you feel almost sometimes like, ‘Am I allowing myself to grieve? Am I allowing myself to acknowledge what’s happened, and what’s going on, and what this last three months of my life has been.’ I just start to question myself about everything that I’m experiencing right now.”
She then admitted:
“I don’t know if there’s a right answer. I don’t think there’s a right answer to grief or how someone grieves … That’s different for everybody.”
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The mother of one said she’s been talking to her late husband over the course of the week, saying:
“I said to Nick. I was like, ‘You know me. This is what I would be doing. I would keep going. I would keep moving. I would keep working.’ … I thought maybe that would make him laugh because I think he’s listening. … At the same time, it’s so hard and when it does hit you, it’s so hard. But I know that it’s gonna get easier every day.”
She concluded with a plea to fans to continue taking safety precautions against COVID-19:
“I really just want to reiterate though also guys, it’s so important to still stay safe. I know we’re all itching to get out and it’s summer. I know. I know! But also just be safe. Wear your masks, and wash your hands, and social distance and just be careful, y’know? And get tested if you can, and get antibody tested if you can, and just be responsible. Because it’s the only way that we will ever end this, and that we will ever be able to move forward … as a human race.”
It’s pretty incredible that Amanda would take the time out of her own mourning to urge others to stay safe. We sincerely hope that her message reaches those who need to hear it.
[Image via Amanda Kloots/Instagram]
