This Thursday, I will be flying from Boston to Tampa, Florida (fingers crossed) for one of my favorite events to both attend and present at: Camp Widow. The last Camp Widow in Tampa was back in 2019. Then, about two years ago this week, the pandemic began, and it slowly became obvious that we would have to cancel the in-person event for the year 2020. Things were not much better in 2021, and once again, it had to be canceled. This year, we are back, and eager and ready to help support widowed people with incredible workshops, social activities, peer-based community/friendship, and an overall atmosphere of hope and compassion. And really, sometimes its just nice to swim in the Marriott pool or have a drink with other people who “get it.”
One of the very best things about Camp Widow and the Soaring Spirits team, is how welcoming and embracing they are of new partners / re-partnered and re-married widowed people. You dont stop missing your person who died because you found love again, and you CAN live a life of joy and be in love again, while simultaneously grieving your person. Those who have walked this path understand this, and at camp, its all about supporting one another in making our worlds bigger, not smaller. Widowhood shrinks you of everything that you had and were. Trying to create a new life from a blank slate is one of the hardest things you will do, but in my opinion, finding your tribe of people who can help you crawl through it, is important, and often times vital.
My husband Nick will be going with me this time to Camp, and this will be his third time attending with me. This time, in addition to me doing my comedic presentation, NIck and I will be on the “Love After Loss” panel together, with 3 other couples, which Im really looking forward to. We will also be facilitating, seperately, at the tables for “We Have a Person for That.” My table will be for people who are “widowed and repartnered”, and Nick’s will be for “my partner is widowed.” He has made friends in the community, and it makes me happy to see that, and it warms my heart in so many different ways. Im so looking forward to seeing people, making new connections, and reuniting with old friends. Camp Widow is not just about grief – its about life. My favorite thing is when I run into someone there who lost their person around the same time that I did – ten years ago – and we catch up, and they are living a life they are proud of or happy with, or they have accomplished things they never thought they could accomplish after the death of their person. And for those still struggling to find their way, just knowing that it is possible to have joy and new life after loss, and actually witnessing the evolution of other widowed people right in front of your eyes – it continues to bring hope and validation.
On a lighter note, its been a pretty cold winter here in Massachusetts, and Im looking forward to lying by the pool, swimming, and generally enjoying weather that does not include snow and ice.
Tampa, here we come!
