I never expected to be a widow. I was a working mom and wife. My kids had both gone off to college. My husband and I discussed different retirement scenarios. It was going to be easier now. We could relax a bit. Not work as hard and maybe do some traveling.
It did not work out that way for us.
One week after we dropped our youngest off at college, my husband was gone.
Continue reading “Finding love again as a widow”
As an overwhelmed and unexpected widow, I had no idea how to respond to the heart given cry “call me if you need anything”.
I, of course, had no idea what I would need or how much my life was about to change.
During the first month or so I was so fortunate to be gifted with gift cards, friend visits and even meals. Being surrounded by loved ones and keeping busy is helpful. But after those first few weeks, most people return to their regular lives and the new widow is beginning to adjust to her new normal.
Continue reading “I’m here for you… Send a care package to a widow this year!”
It’s been a bit of a challenge to decorate my new Florida house for Christmas when it reaches 85 degrees outside some days. So, I turned down the air-conditioner, put the fireplace channel on the TV and told Alexa to play holiday music and opened the green Rubbermaid bins.
Continue reading “The new Florida house at Christmas”
It has been six years since Mike has been here to celebrate his birthday but I always think of him on his birthday, the fourth of July. He loved having his birthday on the fourth as people always celebrated and had a party on that day, even fireworks! This year he would have been 58 and for 30 plus years we shared those holidays together.
Continue reading “Remembering loved ones on their birthday”
“I am totally not decorating this year!”
That’s what I said the first time I drove past someone’s festively decorated home the year that my husband died.
Continue reading “11 Ways to Survive the Holidays as a Widow”
One Halloween I came home from a friend’s house in 8th grade and told my parents I had a great time at the party. We all wore costumes, dunked for apples, made jack-o-lanterns and then used the Ouija board to have a seance.
Continue reading “Is Halloween Scary?”
After spending the past thirty 4th of July’s together, which was also my husband’s birthday, grief comes back full swing and is one of the more difficult holidays to get through for me.
Year one I made a nice Facebook post with photos. Then I made sure to be away from home. My brother and sister and mom and our kids joined us in Cape Cod for a family reunion. This ensured a good distraction and no one really mentioned Mike. Avoiding pain and sadness was my immediate goal. My family was hopeful that I’d be OK, so I was.
Continue reading “He’s gone -It’s OK to say their name”
Christmas in our home was always the best holiday. We had record albums playing over and over on the stereo. Mitch Miller and the band would sing a bit and then tell us all to “gather round”. That was our favorite part.
Continue reading “A Funny Christmas Gift to Remember”
“Would you like the pink or the light blue polish,” I asked as I offered the choices in a Vanna White modeling effort.
“Blue,” mom replied with a sweet smile.
Continue reading “The best gift is time – last visit with mom”
“I am totally not decorating this year!”
That’s what I said the first time I drove past someone’s festively decorated home the day after Thanksgiving.
Continue reading “How to Survive the Holidays after the Loss of a Loved One”