Many moons ago, I was a regular writer on the Widow’s Voice blog. In fact, in 2008, I was the only writer. My hope at the time was to offer a real, in-the-moment glimpse into widowed life as I was living it. After just a couple of weeks, it became clear that our community needed more than one voice—more perspectives, more experiences, more stories where different people could see themselves reflected.
About six months later, that first team of seven widowed writers came together, each sharing their own insights in real time as they rebuilt their lives after the death of their person.
Since that original team, we’ve been fortunate to welcome more than thirty writers to Widow’s Voice. Their commitment to showing up—for you, for our community, and for themselves—has created the largest collection of blogs written by widowed people in the world. Because of them, no matter how long a blogger writes here, their words, their reflections, and their hearts will continue to serve widowed people for years to come.
Transitions in Widow’s Voice are tender moments—one chapter closing, another opening. We’ve reached that moment for our Tuesday blogger, Diana Mosson. Her final post shared the life she is rebuilding in the wake of her husband’s death, including the tender vulnerability of parenting children who carry worries far heavier than any five-year-old should.
In the midst of solo parenting, grieving her husband, and navigating the complex landscape of suicide survivorship, Diana met each week with courage, compassion, and honesty. We are so grateful she let us into her world, and I know her words will continue to support widowed people who find themselves walking similar paths.
Thank you, Diana, for allowing Soaring Spirits to be part of your life, and for sharing your heart so generously. You have a whole community cheering you on as you continue building a new life for yourself and your children.
This passing of the pen shifts our Tuesday perspective to another facet of widowed life—being widowed more than once. For many, this is something unimaginable. I’ve heard countless widowed people say the fear of experiencing widowhood again is a primary reason they choose not to repartner. And when someone in our community shares that they have walked this road twice, the response is often a gasp of shock. This common, human reaction often isolates people living this difficult experience and makes them feel alone–even within a widowed community that welcomes them.
Part of Soaring Spirits’ mission is to normalize and honor the full diversity of experiences within our community. As the years go by, more and more of our members are facing the death of more than one partner. It’s been on my heart to widen our support for those carrying this layered experience, which brings me to the introduction of our newest Widow’s Voice writer, Dianne West.
Dianne is a beloved part of the Soaring Spirits family. She has poured her heart into countless leadership roles—managing volunteers for the entire organization, overseeing registration and volunteer teams at every Camp Widow event for years, and guiding Widowed Village year-round. These are only a few examples of how she has helped shape Soaring Spirits. When she retired from volunteering in 2021, it was bittersweet—we knew how much we’d miss her steady leadership, even as we celebrated the new chapter she was entering.
And now, here we are. Dianne is stepping into a brand-new role as our Tuesday Widow’s Voice blogger, offering perspective for those who have been widowed more than once. I’m deeply grateful for her willingness to share her story and, once again, to guide our community with truth, vulnerability, and wisdom.
Widow’s Voice friends, please join me in thanking Diana for her heartfelt dedication and welcoming Dianne with open arms.
Long live love.