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Liliana Henao Holmes

About Liliana Henao Holmes

HOLA, Bienvenid@s!
Welcome to this Widowed Warriors Wednesday corner, where I pour my bleeding heart out each week. I’m so glad you’re here, and I’m so sorry that you had to.

On December 3, 2023, my beautiful husband, Horace Riley Holmes Jr., died after living fully for three years with terminal brain cancer. I don't have to tell you this, but life since has been a journey of grief, rebirth, and learning how to breathe again.
Who am I? That is a great question! And one I’m still answering in the aftermath of utter loss and devastation. This is what I got so far: I’m a mostly sane, youngish widowed mom to two amazing teen humans (most days 😄) and one sweet Border Collie/Lab mix 🐾. I’m learning how to live fully again, one small, slow step at a time.

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, raised in Mexico, and now rooted in Washington, DC, I’m a journalist by trade, storyteller by heart, and a dancer, singer, and comedian in my dreams. I love salsa 💃🏽, laughter 😂, the beach 🏝️, deep friendships 🥰, and I am intentional about creating moments of joy.
My kids are my world. Faith, Framily, and Fun are my anchors. Most days, I choose to keep dancing, laughing, and living. And sometimes, I sit in the suck. Both are sacred.

I hope my sharing brings comfort and validation to your journey.

Would you say hola in the comments? I’d love to know your name, where you’re reading from, and the name of your person. Or simply share whatever you need to get off your chest. I'm ready, bring it on!

🖤🤍❤️‍🩹 Wanna get in touch? Email [email protected] 🖤🤍❤️‍🩹

Boundaries? What’s That? 😫

Posted on: July 1, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

Hola, fellow grieving friends. First and, of obvious utmost importance, 🇲🇽 Mexico’ soccer team made it to the Octavos de Final in the World Cup ⚽️ yesterday and now I’m thinking we could actually win this thing 🏆!!! Ok, maybe not. Most likely not, but still, it is really fun to dream! Ok. This past week […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Emotions, Widowed by Illness, Uncategorized

Grief Hangover?🍸

Posted on: June 24, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

Never Have I Ever… Been drunk in my life. Never, ever, ever, ever. Yep, you heard it here first, folks!!! And I’m thinking that right about now would be a great time to add that ⬆️ to my to-done list ✅. So technically, I don’t know what a hangover really feels like. But if I […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Signs from Loved One, Widowed by Illness, Uncategorized

Happy Birthday, Mi Amor ❤️‍🩹

Posted on: June 17, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

Hi, baby. It’s me. I’m sorry I haven’t written to you until now. But I know you know. I tried and I just couldn’t. My heart too broken, the pain too deep, the rage too strong. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It’s funny. Well, not haha funny, but you know what I mean. […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Memories, Widowed Birthdays, Widowed Emotions, Widowed by Illness, Uncategorized

The Kids Are Alright 🙅🏻‍♂️🙅🏻‍♀️

Posted on: June 10, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

But… are they? 😮‍💨 I’ve hit another one of those walls where I have a lot to write about, but so much that my brain can’t decide what to focus on. Truth is, in this family, we are ALL literally crawling to the end of the school year. Yep, our last day is June 18. […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Effect on Family/Friends, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Community, Widowed by Illness

I Did a Thing 🫣

Posted on: June 3, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

Tuesday 5.26.26 🗓️ I went on my first date since my husband died. It came with all of it. All the feelings. I was really excited and proud of myself for choosing to do it and heartbroken all over again that I had to. It was coffee with a tall and handsome guy who approached […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Memories, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Community, Widowed by Illness, Uncategorized

Repeat After Me…👩🏻‍🏫

Posted on: May 27, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

I’m a Bad🤨$$, you’re a Bad🤨$$, we are ALL Bad🤨$$es!!! The past few weeks have left me exhausted and depleted, once again. Yes, there has been some joy and fun, but between planning my daughter’s 13th birthday party, surviving another Mother’s Day, my daughter’s trip to Puerto Rico, and a few other energy-consuming events, this Memorial […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Therapy, Widowed by Illness

The Regalos 💝 of Grief

Posted on: May 20, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

I am not going to lie, this one is a tough one for me to write, like I really had to think about it long and hard. Before the massive earthquake that decimated my life, AKA the death of my husband, I was the eternal optimist, the happy-go-lucky (most times 😆), borderline toxically positive person, […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Emotions, Widowed by Illness

Once Upon a Time…👑

Posted on: May 13, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

…In a Far, Far Away Kingdom 👸🏻 In the kingdom of Washington, DC, there lived a beautiful, brave, brave princess. She had just entered teenagehood, and she lived with her loving parents, the King and Queen, her older brother, the Prince, and the royal pet, June, the collie-lab mix. They lived a lovely, chaotic life, […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Emotions, Widowed Therapy, Widowed Community, Widowed by Illness

What do Cinco de Mayo 🇲🇽 and Mother’s Day 💐 have in common?

Posted on: May 6, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

Nothing, except everything. Yesterday, May 5th, the grief hit me out of nowhere, yet not entirely unexpectedly.         We loved turning nothing into something, any excuse into a celebration. Take Cinco de Mayo, for instance. Not Mexican Independence Day 🇲🇽 and not a widely celebrated holiday in Mexico, but after nearly 30 years […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Memories, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Holidays, Widowed Emotions, Widowed by Illness

The Wild Wild Southwest 🌵

Posted on: April 29, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

First things first, and the most important thing first: this airline gets me!!! ➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️ But seriously, the polarity of this journey that goes from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other in a nanosecond, I had to take a picture of it. Well, we did it! We survived and, may I dare say, […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Emotions, Widowed by Illness, Miscellaneous

I’m Off the Clock ⏰

Posted on: April 15, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

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 […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed and Healing, Widowed Emotions, Widowed by Illness, Uncategorized

Identity Theft 🪪

Posted on: April 8, 2026 | Posted by: Liliana Henao Holmes

Victim of Identity Theft 👤 Not the kind where creeps take your Social Security number, name and address and try to impersonate you with American Express 💳. But the kind that happens after your person dies. The kind that strips you of everything that made you, you. I have a feeling you know where I’m […]

Categories: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Memories, Widowed and Healing, Widowed by Illness

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