Kimberly Van Der Beek has paid a beautiful tribute to her late husband James Van Der Beek on what would have been his 49th birthday.
The Dawson’s Creek star passed away on February 11 following a battle with bowel cancer, leaving behind his wife of 15 years and their six children — Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, and Jeremiah.
Taking to Instagram Stories on March 8, Kimberly shared a series of never-before-seen, personal photos and videos celebrating James’ life and the family they built together.
“Would be your 49th birthday today,” she wrote alongside a photo of the pair together.
“And I’m missing you tremendously.”
Among the memories she shared was a video of James filmed just eighteen months ago. “Doing what he loved. Working this land,” Kimberly wrote alongside the clip.
The mum of six also shared a series of candid family moments, including James dancing with his kids.
“Always dancing with his kids,” she captioned the post.
“You are the light of our lives,” she wrote over one family photo.
“Your love. Beauty. Presence. Tenderness. Protection. Safety. Creativity. Singing.”
Her grief was raw and honest throughout. “Baby, you were the best humanity had to offer,” Kimberly wrote alongside a photo of their whole family together.
“This is a loss I don’t know how to process. I will love you forever.”
Kimberly, who married James in 2010, also simply wrote: “I’m so grateful for the time.”
But it was nine-year-old Emilia who truly stole hearts, posting her own video to her mum’s Instagram account with a remarkably wise and moving message for anyone navigating grief.
Filming herself outside near some trees, Emilia spoke with a maturity well beyond her years.
“Hi, my name is Emilia Van Der Beek,” she began.
“As you all probably know, my dad has passed away. But I’m just going to tell you little tips – anything that helps you getting through anybody you love passing.”
“So today is my dad’s birthday, and the number one thing for somebody’s passing is to talk to them and let your emotions out. If you miss them, you can cry. You can talk to them. I talk to my dad every day, and I start with a sentence, and I say, ‘Hi Dad, I miss you. I love you so much and I’ll never stop loving you.'”
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