One of the first books about widowhood I read right after Rick’s death was The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion. I’ve always been an avid reader, so my natural response to anything is to search out a book ...
When you lose your spouse, the world doesn’t stop but it certainly feels like it should. The sun still rises. People still go to work. Places around you still fill with laughter. But inside, everything feels different. Your life has quietly split into two ...
I’ve been on this journey long enough to know that time does not heal this kind of grief. Things become softer, not as raw as in the beginning, but missing him and our life together continues even as I move ...
I came across a post I'd shared on Facebook on this day, just shy of three months after Bret left this life. Things still felt surreal as I clung to the remnants of what had been. We'd been together nearly ...
The Legend of the Dogwood According to an old and cherished Easter legend, the dogwood tree was once very different. It grew tall, strong, and straight — its wood firm and sturdy, prized for building. Some say it was ...
There is no timeline for grief; we grieve for as long as we need. My timeline, however, has a new update: I am no longer in any kind of active grief. I think I've been here for a while now, ...
I read a blog, "He Feels Farther Away," by Dorothy Swanson about what she calls “the middle” part of her grief journey. It’s the place we come to after the shield of shock has long worn off, the tears ...
In the tender season of widowhood, when days feel quieter and the familiar rhythm of shared life shifted, it's easy to wonder if purpose slipped away with your beloved. Yet Scripture gently reminds us God never wastes a life, a ...
Now that I’m retired, I love taking writing courses. They challenge me and make me dive deeper into my feelings - and they also encourage me to make more time to write. In my current course, called "Writing to Heal," ...