On Wednesday, I will be leaving for Camp Widow Tampa, and Im really excited. It’s also really emotional for so many reasons. First off, I will be the KeyNote Address Speaker at Camp Widow this year. I still remember watching Michele Neff Hernandez up there on that stage, speaking to all of us broken and terrified widowed people, inspiring us and changing us, even though she might not have even known that her words were so healing and validating. I have watched Michele, and many others, over the years, deliver their own version of inspiration up on that Camp Widow stage. And now, almost thirteen years after the sudden death of Don Shepherd, it is my turn to stand up there (and partially sit, due to a torn miniscus flap in my knee) and give the widowed community words of hope, reality, and compassion. I truly hope that my message helps the people that mean so very much to me.
It is also emotional because this will be the last Camp Widow in Tampa that is in it’s current 3-day, weekend format. After this, Camp Widow will be going on the road with it’s pop-up camps, in many different cities (lets hope for Boston or Worcester soon!) So it will be emotional and bittersweet seeing old friends and knowing that I won’t be seeing them next year at this time, like I normally do. At the same time, the new format is exciting and way more affordable, and so it will be great to attend in some of the closer locations as time goes on. All I know is – this time, those conversations sitting by the pool or late at night out by the hotel bar, will mean something extra special.
Lastly, Florida has always had special meaning for me. When Don and I met in that music trivia chat room all those years ago, I was living in NY and he was in Clearwater, Florida. We spent years in a long-distance relationship, flying back and forth for visits. I spent so many days and weeks in Florida, hanging out with my guy and getting lunch, walking on Clearwater Beach, playing tennis, lying on his couch laughing and listening to music, driving along with him showing me different parts of the state … just so many things. His ashes are sprinkled on that beach, and every year when I go to Camp Widow in Tampa, I go and visit Don too. Being in Florida brings with it a feeling of sadness, along with an equal feeling of closeness to him that I don’t feel in the same way anywhere else.
It’s an emotional time, and I’m really excited.
See you soon.
