I have a tonnn of songs in my “Grief Songs” Playlist – a carefully curated list of songs accumulated over the past 11 years of songs that are about grief, help me have “a good cry” (I am now at a place in my journey that I can schedule these “good cry’s” at a “convenient” […]
LGBTQ+ Widowed
The Loss of Future Memories
One of the things that makes our people “our people,” is the million things we know about them that few / no one knew, and – as importantly, the million things they knew about us that no one else knew. We were also “each other’s people” because of the special 1:1 memories we had, the […]
The Bittersweetness of Home Renovations
My siblings and I are renovating my Mom’s family home in the Philippines. Our Aunt passed away last year, and left her estate to the three of us (she and my Mom were the only siblings, and my Aunt had no children). We are in the long process of renovating the home. I was only […]
“When Are You Going To Start Living Again?”
My widow group What’sApp chat was a flurry this weekend over one very brief – but very impactful – interaction one of us (not me) had at a party. She was chatting with someone she had not seen since before her partner had passed. Rather quickly, the “friend” said, “When are you going to start […]
Learning About Moving Forward from The Gilmore Girls
I love the Gilmore Girls, which originally aired from 2000 – 2007, then was revived by Netflix in a 4 episode series in 2016. The revived episodes follows the current lives of the 3 main characters (daughter, mother, and grandmother) 9 years after the original series ended. I loved most of the revived episodes. I […]
Shout Out To Our PETS Who Saved Us
I came across an instagram post that talked about why a PET might be the only thing that pulls you forward after a devastating loss (when nothing and nobody else can reach you). It was an amazing post (I will try to figure out how to link it…) and it ends with the statement, “Pets […]
RIP and Cheers James Van Der Beek
I watched this video James Van Der Beek had posted a couple years ago. He was in his car, and randomly sharing a “revelation” he just had. He had just parked his car in a spot that he had waited for and was a tight fit, but was a little bit closer (a shorter walk) […]
Time of Your Life
Lynn was born in Providence, Rhode Island, into a large Italian family, with heavy Massachusetts / New England accents, were devout Catholics and Red Sox fans, and – New England Patriots fans. I just came from my friends’ annual 2026 Super Bowl party, where the Patriots played (and lost horribly to) the Seahawks. I was […]
A Widowed Valentine’s Day Expression
Gratitude Flows Can we give a “widowbit” this Valentine’s Day for the widowed person who needs us? There is so much about my widowhood journey that would not have been the same if it hadn’t been for Soaring Spirits. The idea of honoring Valentine’s Day with a Member Drive feels so right to me. […]
The Unexpected Nostalgia of Weather Changes
I finally went for a run in the woods near my house. It has been about 2 months since I went on a “real” run, and even longer since I went for a “proper” trail run in these woods that I consider my church. It was cold and sunny, perfect for a run. It’s the […]
Visiting Cemeteries
I am currently in the Philippines, visiting with family for the holidays. We are from a small mountain town, where both my parents’ families have lived for generations. My Mom, who passed away 2.5 years ago, is here in our family mausoleum. Even when I was a child visiting “home,” going to the cemetery was […]
Holiday Traditions Evolving
“Fun” fact – Lynn and I never spent a Christmas together in the 10 years we were together on Earth. Her family lived in Tennessee, and mine lived in the same town we lived. We both had big families we were close to, with lots of nieces and nephews. We both wanted to spend the […]