Toni Braxton Talks How She Still Feels Traci 'Saying Hello'

The Braxton family recently lost their beloved Traci Braxton to esophageal cancer, which she struggled with for about a year.

Traci is missed by all and survived by her loving family, including her husband, son, grandson, and sisters Toni, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar.

Following the death of the 50-year-old singer, Toni had her first interview with Tamron Hall on the "Tamron Hall Show," where she reflected on the precious times with her younger sister and talked about her new project.

It had only been a few weeks since Traci's demise, and Hall wanted to know how Toni was holding up. The songstress admitted that she missed her sister even though she thought she was doing okay.

The show's host recalled the "Breathe Again" musician's beautiful tribute to her sister on social media when she passed away and showed viewers a snapshot of the post.

Hall read parts of the message, pointing out "our angel is now a snowflake," while Toni explained the reference saying Traci loved the snow and she died in Virginia when it was snowing. She then said:

"Her favorite bird was a hummingbird, and I saw a hummingbird the other day; it just kinda flew around me and suspended itself, and I was like Traci, and it started bopping and going up and down, and it made me feel better because I felt like she was trying to say hello to me."

The presenter noted that it was part of the grieving process as people who lost loved ones relied on memories and looked for signs to show their loved ones were still around.

Even as a celebrity, Traci wanted to battle her condition privately, and she did so till the end. Hall then asked the special guest what that year was like for the Braxton family.

Toni said it was a challenging year and her lovely sister was "optimistic and hopeful" that she would be better.

Traci had an extra six months more than the doctors initially predicted so the family could cherish the moment.

Every member of the Braxton family stayed with her all the time, making the best of every moment. They were also with her when she took her last breath, which was pretty hard on the family.

The "Another Sad Love Song" singer has been carrying out a project called "Fallen Angels," which Traci was aware of. The older sister would call her sibling when she was still filming in Canada, telling her about the production.

Toni stated that the Lifetime film was dedicated to the late TV personality, so she would always be present no matter what.

The conversation moved on to the reality show "Braxton Family Values," which reflected the Braxton sisters' special bond, which Hall commended. Toni said:

"We’re so close, we’re more than sisters, we’re kind of like twins, I like to call it. You know, we’re bound together by more than just DNA, by blood. It’s just something special that my parents did such a fantastic job with raising all of us together, making us so close."

She further mentioned that losing one of her sisters made it a little more difficult sometimes, as she often believed Traci's death was a dream and had to convince herself otherwise.  

The deceased radio personality had been around for fifty years, and Toni tried to savor the past moments and be grateful for the time they shared with her other sisters.

The Blast recently recalled the sweet tribute Toni's mother Evelyn shared in honor of her late daughter. She hoped that Traci would beat the disease and encouraged her optimism. The matriarch expressed:

"As days, weeks, and months passed, she held on to her determination that she could be an example for someone else, that she could perhaps help them through this heinous disease!!"

Evelyn further recalled watching Traci daily while her strength and determination grew. The deceased onscreen star held on to God's Peace without complaining till the end.

The message continued, "I watched tears streaming down her face as she held on to her faith and beliefs. She fought a good fight and held on until she could not hold on anymore."

The bereaved mother's tribute showed that she missed her daughter and her gratitude to God for blessing her with "such a beautiful treasure in a vessel that will never be forgotten."