What could be more uplifting than an adorable puppy, especially when welcomed during the first week of the lovely month of April? I will add, however, April in Northeast Florida is the equivalent of mid-July in most northern states and can bring sweltering temps in the 90s. I often write about how I believe […]
Widowed and Healing
Three Reasons
Why It Works A few of us drove to Palm Springs this week to view Camp Widow: The Documentary at the AmDoc Filmfest. In spite of the fact that two of us have been to camp several times, we both cried during the film. Our companion, who has never been to camp, went home after […]
Self Evaluation, Day 1441
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Story of Three Mothers
and a Camp named Widow “Camp Widow is a gathering for widowed people by widowed people. Over the course of three days, attendees speak candidly about death, forge connections with others over shared experiences of loss, and find ways to navigate the tricky waters of grief. Founded by Michele Neff Hernandez, who suddenly became a […]
Springing Forward Step By Step
My last two posts have been a little heavy with the sharing of the anniversaries of the passing of my sister and mother. It helps to share their losses, but in doing so, I’m also celebrating and honoring their places in my life and keeping those memories alive for others. With warmer temperatures (even here […]
Why Speak of it?
Why Speak of Them? Does it matter? As a widow of nearly four years, I wonder how many widowed people just tough-it-out and don’t reach out for help during their early days of widowhood. Or, perhaps they do, but they keep it private. It is possible to have professional grief therapy, counseling, or pastoral care […]
Why I Return
to the Work of Grieving Grief work feels overwhelming. It takes courage to step toward the work with all the feelings in the way. Sadness that our person is not there. The strange dance of feeling hope and then feeling hopeless. I’m almost 4 years in now and I think the overwhelm is a normal […]
The Dark Day
A repost as we head into March! As we have now entered the dark month I find myself significantly more anxious during my days, more than I have been for a while. I feel like I have been trying so hard to not live in the days of 2022 leading to that dark day. It […]