I opened the door on the second knock and extended a practiced, firm handshake. My hair was pulled back plainly, clothes were modest, and my face was void of both makeup and smiles. I was ready. “Keith Allen, KO Insulation” ...
The Unpredictability of Summer GriefA personal reflection on navigating loss in the season of light Summer used to be one of my favorite times of year. I’d look forward to the longer days, the smell of backyard grilling, and the ...
I was having a lazy morning in bed, doing the Wordle and Spelling Bee on my phone. It’s my typical wake up routine now that there’s no job to run to, and I appreciate every minute of it. For most ...
A few years ago, a thought occurred to me that prompted me to sit down and think deeply. Not long after Bret ended his life, I joined multiple support groups that I had found on social media. I don't recall ...
Nothing can prepare us for what we really go through on this grief journey. No matter if our husband's death was sudden or if there was a time of anticipatory grief through a long terminal illness, or somewhere in between. ...
How do you see your life in 5 years? I asked myself this yesterday and the answer terrified me. I usually avoid answering it at all costs. I have gotten so accustomed to surviving one day at a time. One ...
On a day like today, when I was 10 years old, I might have been lying on my bedroom floor, listening to the radio. "Neverending Story" by Limahl might have been playing, and the breeze might have been causing my ...
When I sat down with the salesman, my eyes landed on a bobblehead Spider-Man sitting next to his computer monitor. I’d spent the last hour cleaning out Alice, crying, making fun of myself for crying while sending videos to my ...
...decisions. I got entirely too used to Bret making most of the decisions for us, or at least very heavily weighing in when I had decisions to make for myself. It was no secret that he called all the shots. ...
Hot take incoming: Not long after Bret died, I became aware of something that gave me some pretty conflicted feelings. I'm still not sure how to feel about it, even seven+ years later. Bret had been a well-known guy with ...