Bruce Willis‘ wife Emma Heming Willis is keeping it real when it comes to how she celebrated her husband’s first birthday since his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis.

Taking to Instagram Stories on Sunday, Emma began, “Today is my husband’s birthday. I have started the morning by crying as you can see by my swollen eyes and snotty nose. I just think it’s important that you see all sides of this.”

“I always get this message or people always tell me, ‘Oh, you’re so strong. I don’t know how you do it.’ I’m not given a choice. I wish I was, but I’m also raising two kids in this,” the 44-year-old explained. “Sometimes in our lives, we have to put our big girl panties on and get to it. And that’s what I’m doing.”

“But I do have times of sadness, every day, grief every day, and I’m really feeling it today on his birthday,” she continued. 

Emma also posted a reel in honor of the Die Hard star’s 68th birthday, showing Willis in moments with his family, in particular playing with and dancing with his children. Heming Willis captioned it, “…He is so loved. And I’ll be loving him always. Happy Birthday my sweet.”

“My birthday wish for Bruce is that you continue to keep him in your prayers and highest vibrations because his sensitive Pisces soul will feel it,” she wrote. “Thank you so much for loving and caring for him too.”

Willis and his entire blended family, including his ex-wife Demi Moore and their adult daughters Tallulah, Scout, and Rumer, can be seen in a video singing “Happy Birthday to You” with the star. Looking slightly unsteady on his feet, Bruce nonetheless sings along smiling, and blows out a pair of candles on his pie with gusto.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.