Widow's Voice

“Winding” My Own Business

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Detail from “Sedge” – acrylic on mat board

It is hard for me to grasp that next month marks one year that I’ve posted here at The Widow’s Voice. Each one of the “Blogging Seven” – one writer for each day of the week – offers a personal account that has evolved around the circumstances that brought them (okay us) to the Widowhood. Still some resistance there.

We all thank you for your readership and I know in sharing our stories and recovery process we aspire to help ourselves evolve and help others cope with their own loss. It isn’t easy to write a post on a weekly basis and it was an honor to be acknowledged for presenting and posting and thanked along with my fellow bloggers during the closing ceremonies of Camp Widow San Diego in July. 

For me, blogging for Widow’s Voice has gifted me with a timeline so to speak of those “small steps” I’ve made over the course of the 22 months since the passing of my husband Rich. In truth, it is still difficult to put that in writing. 

Sometimes I know exactly what I will write and begin on Monday drafting up to 200 words to be edited on Friday. Other times I’m not so organized and try patiently to find a theme or mood that influenced my week to shape my Saturday Post. Although I can’t share much, there was a big development this week and as I can’t divulge at the moment (please respect that), I do hope to be able to share just around the time of what would have been my 27th wedding anniversary. 

Rich on Sombrero Beach, Marathon, FL

I’d planned to spend that occasion of September 28th in the Florida Keys, even making a reservation at a place Rich and I frequented, but then something very different occurred and a new story has taken shape. A lesson that the path is always winding. What a great time to begin working on a Memoir I began before the Real Story even happened.

Current W-I-P

Other things also happened. For the first time in a long time I will begin displaying my work at a gallery in downtown St. Marys. It is a W-I-P as they say in the publishing industry and I will share more in detail next week when that is complete. It’s an exciting development as I’ve been trying to return to the Creative Community I’ve missed so much. Once-upon-a-LifeTime I worked as a Full-Time artist for three decades. 

Recently I had the honor of mailing the Maxwell Medallion to nearly 50 recipients. The Maxwell, as it’s called, is awarded by the Dog Writers Association of America (established in 1935) for excellence of dog-writing in all forms of media. Although I did not receive one this year, I am proud to share that I’m a past Maxwell Medalist and Special Award Winner, something that is very dear to me. This year I can claim, however, that my essay, “The Gift of Dog” appeared in The Dog Who Came to Christmas (Revell-Baker Publishing Group), that was a Finalist in the Human-Dog Bond Book Category. Congratulations to its editor Callie Grant Smith (Lonnie Hull DuPont) for another excellent project. I’ve had the honor of contributing to four of her Revell pet-themed anthologies. Her Second Chance Dogs took top honors a few years ago!

Congratulations to all of the Finalists and Winners of the DWAA Annual Writing Competition. I’m proud to serve on the DWAA Board and my membership has inspired me to keep writing about our faithful and loyal canine companions. Among us are a few Fellow-Widowed and they have helped me along my path as well. If you love to write about dogs and have published your work, please feel free to reach out to me to learn more about this year’s competition. 

“Better luck next year Mom, write on!”

This week I was also excited to receive a surprising e-mail from someone regarding another book I’d written, Around the World in 1909: Harriet White Fisher and Her Locomobile (American History Press-2014), the true story of a New Jersey-based widow who over 100 years ago ventured through some of the most uncharted remote areas of the world with her loyal entourage, including a few adorable pets. I hope to share more on that soon. Harriet Fisher remains an inspiration to me each and every day as we never know what each may bring along the ever winding unmapped road. 

“I will hold this pen hostage until you write about me!”

Thanks for Living On with me as I update with weekly Posts. Please always feel free to reach out with questions.

https://www.facebook.com/LisaBeginKruysmanAuthorAndArtist

Stay tuned and have a great week.

About Lisa Begin-Kruysman

Originally from New Jersey, artist/writer/blogger Lisa Begin-Kruysman now calls Southeast Georgia and Florida home. It was during a road trip in October 2021, when she and her husband Rich, who served militarily as a Navy Corpsman, were returning south after celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary, that he became ill, passing just three weeks later. The author of several books, including Dog's Best Friend (McFarland & Co. 2014) mostly inspired by the special human-canine bond, Lisa serves on the Board of Directors for the Dog Writers Association of America and now returns to blogging posting for Widow's Voice with the intention of sharing her personal experience of widowhood with those who know the struggles first-hand and to perhaps help those who struggle to understand the daily challenges facing those who've lost a spouse or significant other. She is currently writing a memoir about her Widowed Experience and the comfort she has derived from her relationship with dogs.