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kids

Kids Talking About Death

October 4, 2018 by Olivia Arnold Leave a Comment

Last week my school took part in the Terry Fox Walk. I’m not sure how much everyone knows about Terry Fox but in a way oversimplified summary he was a young Canadian, who lost his leg to cancer in the 1980s. He had an artificial leg and set a goal to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He died before he could finish his…

Filed Under: Widowed Parenting, Widowed Emotions Tagged With: expressions of grief, olivia arnold, kids

Taking the Lead

August 21, 2018 by Mike Welker Leave a Comment

There were so many reasons for Megan to be proud of Shelby.  From her sheer intelligence, to her love for reading, to even her quirky weirdness.  She appreciated that Shelby had a love for nature, at least tiny animals and flowers.  We would take Shelby camping at least once a year, but due to Megan’s condition, that was the limit. We took one…

Filed Under: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Therapy, Miscellaneous Tagged With: widower with children, Metaphors, kids, Nature, Hiking, growing up, Pride, Leadership, confidence, widower, decisiveness, Mike Welker

Loss of a Different Kind

January 9, 2018 by Mike Welker Leave a Comment

In my 37 years, I’ve seen my share of loss.  I’ve lost all of my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, fellow Marines, a brother-in-law, cats, dogs and other pets, co-workers, and obviously, my wife.  There has been illness, accidents, age, war, heart-attacks, and a sprinkle of stupidity involved.  It happens.  Death happens.  I…

Filed Under: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Milestones, Miscellaneous Tagged With: Daughter, dad, Preparedness, widower, milestones, Mike Welker, widower with children, kids, growing up, parenting

Father’s Day Gift

June 20, 2017 by Mike Welker Leave a Comment

Father’s Day 2017. For once, we had a weekend day where there was nothing to do.  We had visited with both mine and Megan’s dads on Saturday, specifically planning to have an open day wedged into the seemingly constant stream of other events that have been taking time on our weekends together. Sarah was awake and moving well before i was (a…

Filed Under: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Emotions, Miscellaneous Tagged With: Daughter, emotions, Father's Day, Letters, Shelby, processing grief, widower, Mike Welker, widower with children, kids

My Own Decisions

June 6, 2017 by Mike Welker Leave a Comment

Summer is here.  Shelby’s last day of school is tomorrow.  Work is slowing down, after the “sales” season rolls into the “build” season for the company I work for.  Weekends are a time for rest and relaxation.  Time to get things done around the house, and to spend time in the woods, at the beach, or just taking in an overnight trip…

Filed Under: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Effect on Family/Friends, Miscellaneous Tagged With: widower, family, Mike Welker, widower with children, kids, decisions, Grandparents, Commitments, Assumptions, Fatherhood

“Baby” Steps

March 14, 2017 by Mike Welker Leave a Comment

Megan’s younger brother will be having a little boy sometime around late July, right around her birthday.  He’s getting married in October, just after my birthday.  Shelby is ten now, getting her straight A’s and growing like a weed.  This past sunday, Sarah, Shelby and I attended a baby shower for two friends that were originally close to…

Filed Under: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed Milestones Tagged With: widower, milestones, Mike Welker, widower with children, kids, life after, Baby

Poking the Bear

January 17, 2017 by Mike Welker Leave a Comment

When you are a widow or widower, and you’re dating, It truthfully doesn’t matter how “good” you think things are going. There will always be some aspect of your new relationship that becomes amplified quite simply BECAUSE you are a widow/er.  It may be a perceived slight in comparison to how your pror person treated a situation, or it may…

Filed Under: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed and New Love, Miscellaneous Tagged With: children, Comparisons, Child care, widower, dating, sarah treanor, Mike Welker, love, widower with children, kids, second chapters

Peanut Butter and Homework

September 6, 2016 by Mike Welker Leave a Comment

Last week, Shelby started the fourth grade.  This is the second school year that she has begun without Megan doting over every paper she brought home, every picture day, PTA meeting, or fundraiser flyer th at seems to be more frequent than homework.  Her peanut butter sandwiches (which she eats every day for lunch, no matter how much we suggest…

Filed Under: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Miscellaneous Tagged With: school, Routines, Silver Linings, Motherless, widower, Mike Welker, widower with children, kids

Journey of Self-discovery

April 5, 2016 by Mike Welker Leave a Comment

It was just a little walk.  As we pulled up to the trailhead on Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, there were very light snow flurries.  We were at 4100 feet above sea level, and had plans to hike along the western ridgeline at Dolly Sods, the highest plateau east of the Mississippi.  Sarah, Shelby, and I took a trip this past weekend to…

Filed Under: Widowed Parenting, Widowed Therapy, Miscellaneous Tagged With: growing up, maturity, Self-discovery, proud, Mike Welker, widower with children, kids, Nature

About A Girl

September 27, 2015 by Sarah Treanor and Mike Welker Leave a Comment

I’m back in Texas this week, after having visited Mike for two weeks. My last day there, we drove up to Niagara Falls to meet up with my sister and her family. It was her first time meeting him and his daughter Shelby, and it was wonderful to see how well he fit in. Again, just like with my friends, he fit into the picture eerily as well as Drew.

Filed Under: Widowed, Widowed Parenting, Widowed and Healing, Widowed and New Love, Widowed Milestones, Widowed Emotions, Multiple Losses Tagged With: sarah treanor, loss, grief, new love, kids, moving forward, bereavement, children, moving, new chapters, parent loss, new direction, widow, other losses

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