How am I doing now? . . . 1,441 days since you left. As I move into my fourth year of life without Dan, I wonder . . . how am I doing now? Although Kubler-Ross intended the stages of grief to describe someone facing a terminal diagnosis, her steps are commonly used as a […]
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Wearing Green Again
Last Monday, should have been my 18th wedding anniversary. I had almost lost sight of its impending arrival. His death anniversary falls on Easter this year. Preparing for that had been taking up my extra grief mental load. In fact, when a friend texted me a few days before my anniversary to check in on […]
Hi ~ It’s so nice to meet you
Hello Fellow Wids! I live in gratitude to Soaring Spirits for having provided a safe environment to grieve in community, and the many opportunities to heal, grieve, celebrate, connect, all the things! I am excited to be the newest blogger, and I thank Kelley for the warm transition. She’s awesome! I look forward to sharing, and […]
Croci in the Sun
On Thursday, The First Day of spring arrived and after a harrowing winter season for much of the nation, it presented a much-anticipated seasonal milestone, if only on a calendar page. I reside in Northeast Florida now, however, over much of my lifetime, I lived in New Jersey and spent a great deal of time […]
At night, alone.
I haven’t actually written poetry in decades, but for whatever reason, tonight, I felt this. It popped into my head and I simply typed it out. At night, alone, the quite hum, Computers and all things left undone, A spark, a life, a light gone from. No TV on, No bottles clank, Just memories from […]
Three Moms at SXSW Austin and More!
A Peek into South by Southwest Film Festival The original Wid-1 and Wid-2 with moms + team at SXSW 2025 What a fun adventure to join this group of enthusiastic fans of Camp Widow: The Documentary! The film perfectly drops you into the Camp Widow experience! The Original Widow Match and the heart of […]
Putting You to Rest
A repost! Lately, time has seemed to tick by so fast, mostly during these ‘ber’ months. Something this past weekend made me realize how quickly the twins are growing up and how it just feels like each month is slipping away, yet my mind still takes me back to those early months after Erik passed. […]
It is time
Well, my widowed friends, the time has come. Today will be my last day writing for “Widow’s Voice.” No big dramatic lead up to the announcement. No big fan-fare. Much like my husband Don Shepherd’s death 13 years ago, things will change instantly as of today. But nobody has died suddenly, so this instant shift […]
A Husky Tale of Great Distraction
I’m drafting this post as I watch the UCONN-Villanova Big East Tournament game.March Madness has begun. If you are into basketball, you understand the amazing legacy of both the UCONN men’s and women’s teams. March Madness used to drive Rich crazy. He wasn’t a big sports fan and with UCONN typically playing to the bitter […]
Necessary Breaks
We’re almost three months into 2025 already and this is the first short trip away I’ve taken. My intention is to have a short trip every month, but it just doesn’t always work out. Now that my mom’s having a lot of new troubles, I feel like I won’t be able to take as many […]
8 Days a Week
As of today, Lola and I have only one more week in Tucson. Yesterday I consulted maps with a calendar. This extra day had me humming the old Beatles’ hit song, Eight Days a Week: “E-i-g-h-t- days a week, I l-o-o-o-v-e, love you. E-i-g-h-t- days a week, is not enough to show I care.” Smiling […]
The Dreaded Week
Here we are yet again. Another year. Another death anniversary. As this week began, so did the replays. The replays of each day of this week leading up to Erik’s death. The replay of each detail. Each interaction. Each moment. My mind looking for something I might have missed. Running through the what-ifs. Looking, searching, […]