We all know that feeling of a broken heart - wow, do we ever. After Dave died my heart literally felt physically broken. It was doing flip-flops in my chest and skipping beats like crazy. I’d been diagnosed with a ...
Never before has a New Year been so anticipated during our lifetime. While there have been many eulogies written regarding 2020; I write from a different vantage point – that of a widow and, once again, a survivor - with ...
Since my husband died, I’ve learned that the word “widow” can be a label, as if being a widow is a static condition. It’s deceptively simple and cloaks the fact that each widow is unique and that widowhood and grief ...
“Melissa, you’re brilliant!” I thought to myself. I had this great idea to spend our first holiday after Dave’s death in Disneyland. What a perfect distraction, right? I walked downstairs where the boys were playing video games - they were ...
Grief can be like two sides of the same coin. It is possible to miss and reflect on what we had, yet also create new memories and decide to fully live again – even through the holidays. This is how ...
The holiday season can be one of great joy. But for widows and their grieving children, it can also be one of great sorrow. Reminders of who is missing. Traditions that can no longer be kept. Gifts that no longer ...
Memories I'm writing this post on my 20th wedding anniversary with Dave - he died suddenly in his sleep almost 10 years ago. I have a little smile on my face as I remember getting to know him as a ...
I push to move forward and reclaim my broken life. I want to thrive and build a life full of good memories with my children despite being so shattered by death stealing from our home. It was three years in ...
This morning, I asked my 16-year-old son for any thoughts or wisdom on how to handle holiday grief. He was 10 when his dad died. And since his dad died in September this will be our seventh holiday season without ...