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Kyle Busch stands alongside wife Samantha Busch and their children, Brexton and Lennix, during pre-race ceremonies before the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway on July 22, 2023.
Nearly every photo Samantha Busch shared from her family’s recent Idaho vacation captures a happy moment.
Brexton proudly holding a rainbow trout. Lennix riding horseback. Beach sunsets. Friends gathering lakeside. Smiles that, at first glance, look like any other summer vacation.
But Samantha says those smiles only told part of the story.
In an emotional Instagram post on Monday, Busch reflected on the trip she shared with her son Brexton and daughter Lennix, explaining that while Idaho offered moments of peace, grief never left her side.
“This trip to Idaho gave us exactly what we needed,” she wrote. “A chance to slow down, breathe, and be surrounded by amazing friends who wrapped their arms around us. But grief is strange and I constantly feel like I’m living in two worlds at once.”
The getaway included time with former NASCAR driver Brian Scott and his wife, Whitney Kay Scott, longtime friends of Samantha and the late Kyle Busch.
Every joyful moment came with the same thought
Busch explained that watching her children enjoy the outdoors brought genuine happiness, but also constant reminders of the person who should have been there with them.
“There were so many moments on this trip when I found myself genuinely smiling as I watched the kids fish, swim, explore, and simply be kids in the middle of God’s beautiful creation,” she wrote.
“But behind every smile was the same thought…
‘Kyle would have loved this.’
‘I wish he were here to see this.’”
The carousel of photos reflected those moments, showing Brexton fishing, Lennix playing along the shoreline, horseback riding through the woods, and family time beside the lake.
‘Heartbreak and joy no longer exist separately’
Busch said she is beginning to understand that grief isn’t something that disappears during life’s happiest moments. Instead, it often exists alongside them.
“I’m learning that two things can be true at the same time,” she wrote. “You can thank God for the beauty and joy in front of you while still asking Him why you have to walk through this.”
She added that cheering on her children often comes while her heart is “quietly shattering because someone who should be standing beside you isn’t.”
One of the post’s most poignant passages came near the end.
“I can’t stop thinking that we should be making these memories with you, not learning how to make them without you.”
She closed with a realization that has resonated with thousands of grieving families.
“Heartbreak and joy no longer exist separately. They simply live side by side in every moment.”
Since Kyle Busch’s passing earlier in May, Samantha has continued documenting both the difficult days and the milestones she and their children continue to experience together. Her latest post offered another deeply personal glimpse into that journey, showing that even amid breathtaking scenery and cherished friendships, grief remains part of every new memory.
Maggie MacKenzie Maggie MacKenzie covers NASCAR for Heavy.com. She previously worked for NASCAR.com, where she reported, wrote, and edited race-weekend coverage and traveled to key events throughout the season. She has more than ten years of experience in sports media and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. More about Maggie MacKenzie
