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Naya Rivera Honored by Ex Ryan Dorsey and Son Josey on Anniversary of Her Funeral: 'We Keep Going'

Ryan Dorsey
Ryan Dorsey

Ryan Dorsey/instagram Naya Rivera, Ryan Dorsey and son Josey

Naya Rivera is still missed by many over a year after her death.

Ryan Dorsey penned an emotional tribute to his late ex-wife on Instagram Saturday while giving an update on their 5½-year-old son Josey Hollis one year after the Glee star's funeral. "Today…A year ago we laid you to rest. I still can't believe it," he began the caption.

"The year has flown by, so fast that it doesn't seem like it's been a year at all," Dorsey, 38, wrote. "Our boy has grown so much. He's such an explorer, so inquisitive. He's sweet, so funny, and his laugh always lights up the room. He's an intuitive soul to say the least. To know him is to love him, everyone that meets him is always smiling. He's doing ok. He's such a resilient strong kid. He misses you but knows he'll see you again, and the invisible string is something that's helped us out during this ever-evolving transition of your time with us on earth that was unfairly & for reasons we'll never understand cut short…too soon…"

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He noted that it's been a particularly difficult month, a year after Rivera went missing during a swim in Lake Piru in Ventura County, California, where she was enjoying a boat outing with Josey. Rivera drowned, and after several days of searching, her body was discovered. She was 33.

"July will probably always be a strange and difficult month in the years that are hopefully plentiful in the future…still hard to see photos, still haven't been able to read or watch anything…as the years go by strength will be on my side as I will share the memories with what is the brightest star of your legacy left on this earth, our beautiful son, Josey," Dorsey continued.

The caption accompanied a black-and-white photo of a growing Josey giving a thumbs up with a little smile, surrounded by photos of himself and his mother. "The thumbs up…only seemed right," Dorsey wrote. "I remember the first time he did it back to you. At jujitsu, you gave him a thumbs up and he returned the gesture…it was so sweet. Maybe it's silly and doesn't make sense to be doing this on IG and putting this out there, but so is this whole thing. So there's that…"

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"Fly high, Rest In Peace, knowing he's doing ok…he's being raised right, and he's got a lot of family and people around him that love him, and you," Dorsey shared.

The father of one also offered support to other families mourning the loss of a loved one. "For everyone out there that's gone through similar events of loss…you know there's not really any words that make it better…we know some days are better than others…but know our hearts and energy are with you," he concluded. "We keep going, because that's all we can do while being as strong as we can be."

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With the recent anniversary of Rivera's death on July 8, tributes began pouring out from her friends, family and Glee costars. Her mother Yolanda Previtire recently appeared on Good Morning America where she said that Josey "misses his mom," and he often "recalls their life together."

"It's almost like we're feeding off each other and lifting each other up," Previtire said. "Josey has lifted me up so many times. He's comforting that way, and we do the same for him."