I was contacted by a long time friend this week asking for resources for a widow client he was working with. I am sure many of us widows are asked similar questions, or asked if we would be willing to talk with someone who is recently widowed and may need to connect with another widow. […]
Blog
Planting Roots
Last week’s post centered on how a log cabin in rural Northern Florida became my primary home and haven nearly two years after the passing of my husband. I became an official Florida resident earlier this year and recently transferred my homestead exemption to my most recent residence. With four dogs now, and an acre […]
“It’s aloneness rather than loneliness”
I spent way too much time mindlessly scrolling instagram last week. I spend more time there than any other social media platform simply because I follow a lot of just plain old fun accounts as well as art and music and people out in the world doing nice things. There is one account I follow […]
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
The first weekend of the professional football season is now complete. As has been the case for far too many seasons, my team melted down just when it mattered most, coming up short against a hated rival. In the immediate aftermath, I halfheartedly listen to the angry, postgame blowback of fans on sports radio, which […]
The Power of Listening
on our path toward healing Part 1 of a series focusing on the benefits of a protected deep listening experience. What is non-judgmental listening? It’s an integral piece of creating an authentic community where everyone feels seen and heard. A safe place to grow. The gift of non-judgmental listening, within a safe space, changed my […]
Curiosity of 5 Year Olds
“Are you going to die, Mama?” Those words cut through me like a knife as my entire body went motionless. I looked at that sweet face that was looking back at me, not realizing the impact her question had on me. My mind blanked for a second, not knowing how to answer back, and then […]
An Insightful Gift
Last weekend I got to spend time with one of Tony’s best guy friends. He was the best man at our wedding level bestie and someone we have both been friends with since high school. We don’t get to see each other often because life is busy when you each have 3 kids at home. […]
Thanks for “Logging” in
I sometimes wonder if I’m not boring everyone with my abundant log cabin photos and posts about my experience of running off to live in the woods not long after Rich’s passing. It’s a major part of my post-widowed experience, and my processing, however, so I write on. Next week marks the two year anniversary […]
Mementos
I write about memories a lot. I think memories are important, especially when you lose the person you made the memory with. A lot of us also associate inanimate objects with memories. This is one reason why it can be so hard to get rid of inanimate objects once a loved one is no longer […]
Step Right This Way
I have been putting together a proposal for a 2-hour tour of one of the world’s coolest neighborhoods. At least that’s how Time Out describes the neighborhood where I live. To me, it is simply the place where I have chosen to spend most of my adult life. Describing it as one of the world’s […]
I Saw You There
happy birthday, my love! your 75th year took me back to when we were first wed and your dad being 50 seemed so old! i teased him calling him “half-a-century” old and he reciprocated when I turned 25 by calling me a “quarter-century” old :)) writing this story reminds me of my luck […]
More Firsts at Camp
I was recently reading a book where the widow went on her first vacation since her partner passed. Her friend booked her on a month long, Italy group tour without her knowing, thinking she needed a “push” to be “happy” (insert eye roll here). She decided not to tell anyone she was a widow, and […]