i met another one. 

this time, holding

a baby just 

a few days past

a month old. 

she was pregnant

when her husband died.

she was left in the 

place that 

so many of us have

found ourselves. 

but i didn’t know that.

not yet.

…

she smiled when we

met, i smiled back, 

talking to her baby. 

then she told me.

…

i should be able 

to hide my shock, 

my outrage, 

my sadness,

after all of this

time, but i’m sure that

my face showed

all of those

emotions at once. 

…

she asked a lot

of questions, 

and quickly my 

shock, outrage, sadness

turned into something else.

i had resources for her.

lots of them. 

the ones that many of

us have used

to help get us 

past those initial 

awful moments/feelings/realities.

…

and i think you’ll

be meeting her

sometime soon, 

through widow match, 

through a widow’s voice, 

at camp widow. 

so please welcome her

when the time

is right. 

she didn’t want

to be here, 

but she is, 

and it’s because of

you that she will

make it through.