How many times have you heard: “You are so strong!”? Or seen memes that compliment a widow’s strength, like this one: “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have”? I didn’t realize ...
It’s Friday and I’m sitting on my deck in my sunny backyard making a grocery shopping list. The Shipt shopper will take care of the shopping that Rick used to do as his most favorite task in the world (man, ...
I am more than just a widow. If I had a dollar for the number of times I was referred to as a widow, or "you know, the one whose husband died," I think I could buy myself a beach ...
I am told how well I am doing and how strong I am. People commend me on the adventures I take and my drive to rebuild my life. The world looking in sees some one who is figuring it out. ...
This has been a hard month. It is a busy month for work as well as there are so many triggers in the month of June. It has been three years and yet June is still a hard month. It ...
Something the journey of widowhood brings up is uncertainty, I questioned things like my future, where to go from there, choices to make and even my own abilities. Along with my uncertainty came the fear. Fear and uncertainty are very ...
I can’t imagine trying to choose a headstone or a casket in the trauma that comes with death. I have great respect for people who are able to think clearly enough to make those choices. I wasn't ready. In fact, ...
It had been months since a smile had formed on my lips that didn’t betray my pain. And while joy seemed more like a Hollywood movie than a reality, I craved it to the point of longing. It was ...
It’s the beginning of my eighth week of isolation - quarantining during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s a beautiful sunny day in Michigan. I can finally see summer around the corner! My mood is as sunny as the day, because I’m ...
One of my favourite inspirational speakers is a child psychologist named Dr. Jody Carrington. She speaks of the importance to connect to our community of friends and family. We are wired to do hard things, but those hard things are ...