In the U.S., cremation seems to be the preferred method of disposing of remains with 63.4% compared to a burial rate of 31.6%. Pretty sure this has greatly changed over the decades as even when I was a kid I don’t think anyone I knew of who passed away was cremated. The funeral was always […]
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A Glimmer of Hope?
Lee died mere months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Hers was a quick and painful death. Since she had many different cancers, I am more familiar than many with this killer. Whereas recent medical advances brighten the outlook for some victims of cancer, for example, people with certain blood cancers are surviving in spite […]
Grief is a Traumatic Brain, Body, and Soul Injury
Hello dear readers…..this is a repost for Liliana while she has been away traveling and tending to her heart and soul. She will be back with you next week and in the meantime my favorite words from this passage: With the passage of time grief gets harder to spot. There are days when I don’t […]
Alone Again, Naturally
I went to the hockey game by myself last night. Round 1, Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for my Vegas Golden Knights. Sold my extra ticket online to a stranger (who didn’t show up for the game) but I was surrounded by young couples having a great time. Our official Golden Knight […]
April 20th
Today, April 20th, is the fifth anniversary of Tony’s death. Yesterday I thew a huge party in his honor. (More on that next week.) As a result, my heart is both empty and overflowing with love. I had a soul cleansing cry at the end of the night (which was technically today). It was good […]
When Your Loved One is 5 Minutes Late
A shared feeling that comes up in conversation in my Widow Fam group is about the heightened sense of worry about a loved one when you do not hear from them when you expected to. For many of us, our minds naturally go to, “Are they dead? It’s possible they died, or something horrific has […]
The House That Won’t Let Go
I know I’ve been writing alot about my home in Georgia lately. It was the home that my late husband, Rich, and I purchased at the beginning of 2020. It still strikes me as how big an adjustment it was for us to move from our homestate of New Jersey to a gated community […]
A normal week …
Normal is a really relative term these days. For me, normal is nothing overly exciting or unusual or entertaining happened. So this is basically just going to be me rambling about every day life and dealing with insomnia. Monday A local artist friend I know had told me about a local widow’s group that meets […]
Friendship Renewed
Recently, I was talking with someone at a New York law firm about settling a lawsuit. I was glad to learn an agreement seemed to be in place, but, predictably, there were “I’s” to be dotted and “T’s” to be crossed. From many years of practicing law, I know firsthand that the wheels of justice […]
I’m Off the Clock ⏰
Said no widowed parent ever!!! 😂 This week I am traveling with our kids for their spring break…🛫 Ay Dios mío!!! I’m super nervexcited! 🚘 I will report back after the trip with our teenage boy and teenage girl, doing things they have never done before. 🚵🏼♀️ Like hiking a lot, hiking inside a river […]
Ashes to Ashes
I thought I’d have a bit more time with him … but they want his ashes shipped now. So I got those required boxes from the Post Office and I carefully wrapped up both Jim and Estelle (his first wife) according to the specific instructions. I wasn’t able to fit both of them in one […]
Right Before
Isn’t it weird to look back on the week before their passing? Depending on the circumstances of their death, that week has a kaleidoscope of events across our widowhoods. For us, life was thrumming along. Spring was coming but the last dregs of winter were holding on. Kids sports were getting ready to hit full […]