Ahhhh, February….the month of love. Stores are filled with reminders of this day. Red hearts are everywhere. The Hallmark Channel is celebrating Loveuary. 

As widows, this can be a difficult holiday. One where we remember receiving sweet words, beautiful flowers, chocolates, and thoughtful gestures. Where we expressed our love to our husbands with cards that we carefully chose and wrote inside, dinners we prepared, and sweet desserts that we made.  

How do we celebrate without them? Well, we can sit around and be upset about the fact that our loved ones aren’t here to celebrate with us anymore. We can pull out old cards to read and have a good cry. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of that. I know I have done it before.

However, I propose we do something more than just that. Something different…something bold. I propose that we put big, gigantic smiles on our faces and share our love with all of the wonderful people in our lives. 

Family, friends, co-workers…If they matter to you, celebrate Valentine’s Day with them. How? Give out cards, bake cookies to deliver, or get together for dinner. It doesn’t matter what you do, it just matters that you do something. 

Do something to show others that you care deeply about them. Let them know that you still have plenty of love in your heart to give. Because we absolutely do! 

I know it sometimes feels like our hearts stopped beating when our spouses did. However, they haven’t. Maybe some of us will never be in a romantic relationship again, and that is perfectly fine. Our hearts are still alive and beating, and we have so much love to give.

Thinking of my husband as being very much alive in spirit walking alongside me helps me. His heart may have stopped, but his soul did not. Choosing to think this way encourages me to keep moving forward. To keep living in amazing ways so that my husband can see me and feel happy and proud. I imagine him smiling proudly when I do something special for our children. I can hear his words when I do something kind and loving for others. How? Because he still lives in my heart, and your husband still lives in yours. Carry him forward. Share love with the world for both of you. 

The world needs more love, kindness, and happiness. Let’s spread it like it’s going out of style. Let’s encourage others to do the same. Ladies, we’ve got this! 

XOXO~Dawn

PS–If you do or are planning to spread some love and kindness, I would love to hear your plans. Your sharing may just encourage others to think of things that they can do for others. 😘

About 

Dawn’s life was forever altered on December 6, 2018 when she got the call that her husband, Jeffrey, had passed away at his work. She quickly learned that Jeff died from a gunshot wound, and detectives determined that it was self-inflicted. Dawn still struggles to wrap her brain around that fact. She will tell you that most days she doesn’t think about that part of it at all. Her husband is gone. The manner in which he died ultimately doesn’t matter. Gone is gone. He will forever be 46. Jeff and Dawn started out as friends in the Fall of 1997. They started to date in January of 1999. On September 3rd, 2000, in front of a beautiful lake, Jeff asked Dawn to be his wife, lover and friend forever. She excitedly accepted, and on June 30th, 2001, they became husband and wife. Together, Jeff and Dawn had 3 children...Ali, Josh & Meghan. During the majority of their 17 years of marriage, Dawn was a housewife and Jeff ran a fencing company. The kind of fencing that keeps children and animals contained. Not the kind of fencing that uses a sword. After Jeff passed, Dawn went back to school to get her special education endorsement. She is proud to be a special education teacher. In her free time, she can usually be found spending time with family and friends. Reading has been her passion since she was just a little girl, but since Jeff passed, she has found it hard to focus on reading. While that is a negative change that has happened on her journey, one positive change is that she has been writing more. Dawn tries to be very open about her journey with the hopes that it will help even just one other person better understand grief. For years, Dawn has been passionate about spreading joy to those around her. She continues to be that way, and now she is very purposeful about trying to focus on the positive things even during a horrible situation. She moves forward on this journey with her mind focused on continuing to honor Jeffrey, as well as trying to raise their three wonderful children in a way that will make him proud. Her hope is to live a life that will allow her to see Jeff in Heaven. She wants to see his smile again and feel his arms around her. Of course, that will be after she hopefully hears her Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

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Dawn Cole

Dawn’s life was forever altered on December 6, 2018 when she got the call that her husband, Jeffrey, had passed away at his work. She quickly learned that Jeff died from a gunshot wound, and detectives determined that it was self-inflicted. Dawn still struggles to wrap her brain around that fact. She will tell you that most days she doesn’t think about that part of it at all. Her husband is gone. The manner in which he died ultimately doesn’t matter. Gone is gone. He will forever be 46. Jeff and Dawn started out as friends in the Fall of 1997. They started to date in January of 1999. On September 3rd, 2000, in front of a beautiful lake, Jeff asked Dawn to be his wife, lover and friend forever. She excitedly accepted, and on June 30th, 2001, they became husband and wife. Together, Jeff and Dawn had 3 children...Ali, Josh & Meghan. During the majority of their 17 years of marriage, Dawn was a housewife and Jeff ran a fencing company. The kind of fencing that keeps children and animals contained. Not the kind of fencing that uses a sword. After Jeff passed, Dawn went back to school to get her special education endorsement. She is proud to be a special education teacher. In her free time, she can usually be found spending time with family and friends. Reading has been her passion since she was just a little girl, but since Jeff passed, she has found it hard to focus on reading. While that is a negative change that has happened on her journey, one positive change is that she has been writing more. Dawn tries to be very open about her journey with the hopes that it will help even just one other person better understand grief. For years, Dawn has been passionate about spreading joy to those around her. She continues to be that way, and now she is very purposeful about trying to focus on the positive things even during a horrible situation. She moves forward on this journey with her mind focused on continuing to honor Jeffrey, as well as trying to raise their three wonderful children in a way that will make him proud. Her hope is to live a life that will allow her to see Jeff in Heaven. She wants to see his smile again and feel his arms around her. Of course, that will be after she hopefully hears her Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

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