Amanda Kloots Reflects on First Thanksgiving Without Late Husband Nick Cordero

Amanda Kloots is choosing to count her blessings as she celebrates her first Thanksgiving since husband Nick Cordero‘s death. Cordero, a Broadway star, died on July 5 at the age of 41 due to complications from the coronavirus, leaving behind his wife and 1-year-old son Elvis. The little boy is at the top of Kloots’ list of blessings this year, she revealed Tuesday on Instagram, sharing a sweet photo of her son playing on a playground.

“I read a passage today that said to find the little things every day that God gives you. Collect them, one by one, and by the end of the day, you’ll see you have a beautiful bouquet! It would be very easy to go into this Thanksgiving week counting my losses but I’m choosing to count my blessings. This guy is at the top of my list.” she wrote next to the photo. One follower responded in the comments, “A great reminder to us all to count our blessings, not our problems,” while another added, “You have had a huge loss but you have so many little blessings. You are pretty fantastic being able to see them each day! He is absolutely a pretty amazing blessing.”

Kloots has shared many special moments with her son as she mourns the loss of her husband, including last week, when she posted a photo of Elvis sleeping with a teddy bear made of the robe Cordero wore during his last Rock of Ages show. “This memory bear was made for Elvis by a dear friend,” she captioned the photo. “I can’t even begin to explain how special it is.”

Throughout the grieving process, Kloots said she has learned “all the special and inventive things you can do to keep someone’s memory alive,” and that you don’t have to ever truly say goodbye to the people you love. “I truly enjoy keeping Nicks’s spirit alive as much as possible,” she wrote, calling the bear something Elvis will have for the rest of his life and hopefully pass on to his own family.

Cordero’s memory is being kept alive not only by his family but by scores of friends who have celebrated his impact on their lives. “My husband was a very special man,” she told PEOPLE of her husband after his death. “He was everyone’s friend. We taught each other things, challenging each other to grow. We loved to sing and dance wherever we were. Just looking at him doing the simplest things would bring a smile to my face.” She added that not a day went by that her husband didn’t tell her, “I’m the luckiest,” and noted how much she would miss “his presence, his voice.”