This year, something unexpected happened: I’m actually looking forward to the holidays. After years of greeting the season with a mix of dread, exhaustion, and let’s be honest, a bit of forced cheer, I feel something new—a spark of genuine ...
One of the most challenging impacts of becoming a widow is having what we defined as our purpose become suddenly changed because it was intertwined with our covenantal relationship with our husband. Our marriage made us one, so our purpose ...
Even the significance behind numbers has changed. He passed away on December 23rd (2023) at 1:30 pm. Today it’s October 14th (2024), 8:30 am. It’s been 295 days, 18 hours and 30 minutes. The 23rd of every month is marked ...
Losing a loved one is an inevitable part of the human experience, casting us into a space of grief that is complex and insurmountable. Yet, within this emotional maze, there are ways to navigate grief to reduce suffering and rediscover ...
When God created the heavens and the earth, He imagined a world where He would create human beings in His image to be His family. Possibly the dearest fingerprint of God in us is our ability to imagine. God’s gift of ...
That doesn't take away the lives they lived. Memories of our time together still remain, etched deeply into both psyche and soul. The laughs we shared together continue to exist, just in other energetic forms. Photos, videos, letters, and other ...
There’s no one size fits all solution for coping with grief for widows. There is, however, one thing that is so versatile it will likely be something nearly every widow can benefit from. I’m talking about music. The right music ...
It's that time, again. The ten-day period between the anniversary of Rick's death and his birthday, the day we held his celebration of life. August 13th to August 23rd, 2017: the most painful time of my life. After seven years, ...
God is clear in the Bible we can expect challenges. Endurance is not giving up. It is choosing to continue moving no matter the hardships. How many of us once thought grief was a temporary condition? Who among us once ...
One of the things I hate about grief is how relentless it can be. I’ve learned so much in the four and half years my husband is a resident of Heaven instead of here with me. God keeps sustaining me ...