Our hearts dropped when we heard about the passing of singer, mother, and wife Traci Braxton earlier this month. She died from esophageal cancer at the age of 50.
Grammy award-winning singer Toni Braxton spoke about the loss of her sister for the first time during a visit to the Tamron Hall show.
“I wake up every morning and I go, ‘Did I dream it? Did I dream it?’ and I have to remind myself, ‘No, she’s gone, but she’s been here with us for 50 years,'” she told Hall.
She added, “So, I try to relish in that moment and try to smile about it and just be grateful for the time you have and you have to always remember to be kind to one another.”
Braxton also explained the meaning behind the heartfelt post she dedicated to Traci via Instagram.
“I’m a rain girl. I love when it rains,” she told Hall. “My sister Traci, she loves when it snows and she died that morning when it was actually pouring down snow in Virginia. So my sister is now a snowflake.”
Traci is best known for her time with her sisters on the WEtv series Braxton Family Values, which premiered in 2011 and had a seven-year run. Fans enjoyed watching the Braxton sisters engage with one another in a real way, and it was something many could relate to. She, along with husband Kevin Surrat, were also a part of Marriage Bootcamp: Reality Stars and she was known for her big personality.
Toni touched on the bond she and her sisters share and says that despite the bickering people may have witnessed over the years, they love one another and are “like twins.” With that in mind, losing Traci was devastating.
“We’re very fortunate to have had my sister with us for as long as we did,” she said.
Hall also asked Toni about the last moments the family had with Traci.
“Her [Traci] and her son were so close, her and her grandson and her son’s wife. We were just a big family. We were all there,” she said. “Her son was there, husband was there, everyone was there. Her best friends were there, everyone was there with her. She had so much love. The hospice nurses were incredible. You never think that it’s going to happen to you and your family. So, you have to remind yourself to enjoy the moments, be happy.”
The actress and TV personality said she’s since felt her sister’s presence since her passing.
“Her favorite bird was a hummingbird and I saw a hummingbird the other day and it just kind of flew around and kind of suspended itself and I was like ‘Traci?’ and it started bumping and going up and down. So that made me feel so much better. I felt like she was trying to say hello to me.”
Grieving can be a long and difficult process, but we’re glad the Braxton sisters have each other to lean on.