Hope for Widows Foundation, a community where my emotions and experience are free from judgment; where I am not rushed to “move on”; where my anguish is acknowledged instead of dismissed; where no one trivializes the love Tyler and I share. Hope for Widows validates the varied and unpredictable emotions grief brings, offers strategies for handling unwanted advice and intrusive input, and provides an outlet to release the frustrations that arise as I acclimate to a life I never wanted nor could have predicted. To have a forum where I can be my authentic self is invaluable. I am accepted as I am– an essential need as the expectations of others, albeit well-intention, suggest what I am feeling and doing is unacceptable. By connecting me with other widows and resources, Hope for Widows Foundation provides support whenever and wherever the need arises. It is an outstretched hand as the sea of isolation engulfs me. It is a steady voice quieting the noise in my head. On the days I can’t outrun the avalanche of sorrow, Hope for Widows Foundation lets me know the snow will melt.
