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Northern Virginia has been Jennifer Carstens’ home since she was a teenager. She met John when she was working at the D.E.A. Headquarters in Arlington, VA, during the summer when she was in college. Honestly, it was love at first sight for both of them. He had a way about him that made her feel like everything was going to be okay. They were married 4 years later and lived happily for the next 21 years. While their lives were not
flawless, they were close to perfection. Their daughter had just turned 16 when tragedy struck on March
11, 2017. John was healthy and happy, but suffered a massive brain stem hemorrhagic stroke. Much to
their horror, he slipped into a coma, and would never wake again. He was 49-years young. Their daughter
is now 18 and they are still piecing together their ‘new normal.

Jennifer believes he would be proud of the ways they are moving forward. They continue to seek peace and healing through humor, love, and sometimes tears.

Recent Posts by this Author

Author Jennifer Carstens

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Fitting In

by Jennifer Carstens in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
January 23, 2020June 19, 2020
When my husband died, the dynamic in my little family changed dramatically.  We were a tight-knit family of 3.  My daughter is an only-child, so she went with us wherever we went.  Even as a teen, she was usually happy ...
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Asking for and Accepting Help

by Jennifer Carstens in Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
December 16, 2019June 19, 2020
After John's death, people said to me, “let me know if you need anything.”  Those friendly words were well meaning, but inside I was screaming, thanks, but I need my life not to be shattered into a million pieces, my ...
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Swimming with Sharks

by Jennifer Carstens in Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation, Solo Parenting
November 13, 2019June 19, 2020
Getting Eaten by Sharks After experiencing the horrible event of my husband’s stroke, my life has changed forever.  When John was in the ICU after suffering a massive brain stem hemorrhage, it was constant stress and chaos for me and ...
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Happily Ever After, Loss, and What’s Next?

by Jennifer Carstens in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
October 7, 2019June 19, 2020
Life Plan and the Happily Ever After Our lives unfold in stages.  We wait for the beginning of the next exciting and challenging step.  I looked forward to riding the bus to start school, then I could not wait to ...
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