It typically takes a butterfly 7-14 days to emerge from its chrysalis. I am past the seven-year mark now and still trying to hatch. Before I met Bret, I was a completely different person than I am now. And that's ...
We have a choice when it comes to our own grief. We can deny it, stifle the tears, stuff it down, cover it over, and try to bury it. Or we can cry a river, sob, wail, pound our pillow ...
The first time I heard this was when we were Skyping. We hadn’t met in person yet. He had such a wicked sense of humor! It’s something I often repeat because it was one of his most endearing and memorable ...
This is a question that I have heard many times. Others who have suffered a great loss likely have as well. Some get offended by it (honestly, rightfully so) but I've made my peace with it. I even opted to ...
It’s strange to always be walking around with Kenny. I named it Kenny, because if something is going to hang out for this long, it ought to be named. I also asked Google, my therapist, and ChatGPT about it, all ...
I loved Valentine's Day when I was a kid. At school, everything would be decorated in pretty pinks and reds, with little hearts everywhere. Oh and chocolate. Did I mention that there was chocolate? We'd get to knock off school ...
In addition to widows oftentimes finding their support network dwindling and their friends fading into the background, sometimes we may even find ourselves being blamed for our spouse's life coming to an end. I can't speak for those who have ...
Forecasts of the coming storm started flashing across social media about three days before it actually hit us, which gave me time to head to Walmart for supplies. My youngest daughter and I go backpacking a lot, so we dug ...
Five Years as a Widow: A Journey of Grief, Growth, and Resilience It’s hard to believe that five years have passed since I became a widow. In some ways, it feels like it was just yesterday when my world turned ...
A few years back, I managed to work through a good deal of grief and trauma related to my husband's suicide. I had forgiven him early on, but it took time to fully accept things. I was proud of myself ...