Welcome to our Blog
Whether you’ve been widowed six months or six years, the grief and pain of losing a spouse or partner never goes away. Join me as I share my own story and those of others from the young and widowed community. Let me know what topics hit close to home, which posts you draw strength from or how you’ve been inspired to keep moving through the overwhelming pain. It’s a place where you’ll always feel connected, knowing there are other young widows and widowers across the globe who understand the many emotions that come with being young and widowed.
Your Story Doesn’t End with the Death of a Spouse
There is a quote that says, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”I wish someone would have told me six years ago that I would be “okay”. I wish there was another widow who could have told that even though I couldn’t see the road...
Knowing When You’re Ready to Date
How do you know when you're ready to start dating?In short, you never really know! One day you may think you're ready and the next day you're repulsed that someone even glanced in your direction.Personally, it took me almost 4 years to be ready to date. And, even...
Widowhood & Self-Preservation
Self-preservation.Our bodies are trained that the brain has top-priority when it comes to our blood supply. Even if other organs need blood, our body will direct the flow to our brain.Self-preservation.Since becoming a widow seven years ago, I have been in...
The “Chapter 2” Myth
I can’t remember when I heard the phrase “Chapter 2” for the first time. I believe it was on a Facebook page dedicated to supporting the widowed community. A widow lamented that she’d never find another man to love her the way she’d been loved by her...
Grief is Constant
Society thinks grieving looks like unkempt hair and smudged mascara. That it looks like an untidy house and drawn curtains. They think it is gut-wrenching social media posts and broken-heart emoji. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes grief is family vacations –...
Surviving Widowhood: Check Your Track Record
There is something about widowhood that brings you to your knees. I remember feeling trapped in an alternative universe trying to make sense of the chaos that surrounded me. The most troubling part was that the one person who was capable of steadying my...
Is Your Grief Holding You Hostage?
We lost what feels like a part of us. The future we visualized or planned with a late spouse was erased with a diagnosis, sudden death or maybe even suicide. For many, the thought then became how will I continue to live. How can I make decisions alone? How can I...
Suffering isn’t a Testament to Love
Not unlike many widows, my world completely shattered when my husband died. When practically every goal and plan involves your spouse it feels almost impossible to move forward – heck, move in any direction. At 32 years old, I wondered what my life would...
What I Know for Sure About Widowhood
1. Everyone will tell you how to “widow”. They’ll tell you about a coworker, distant cousin or former neighbor. Take the information with a grain of salt. Grief is not linear. There’s no one way to be widowed. 2. In losing you’ll gain. From in-laws to...
To the Widow Struggling with Guilt
On the outside, the world sees you hurting from the loss of your spouse. They don’t know; however, that in addition to the “normal” feelings of grief, you’re also struggling with guilt.You blame yourself for not insisting that he see the doctor when his...
Six Odd Things That Helped Me After I Was Widowed at 32
My ShowerAfter my husband died, my shower became my refuge. It was the place I could escape to allow the tears to fall freely. Some days the sobs were barely noticeable but other days, the walls didn’t feel sturdy enough to handle my pain. The shower was...
It’s Not a Competition if the Other Person is Dead
The death of a spouse often feels like losing a part of your heart. It’s the kind of heartache that reverberates through every single facet of your life. It’s fear. It’s insecurity. It’s anger. It’s shock. It’s isolating. It’s pain. It’s hell. But all of...
Widow Discounts – Why it Should be a Thing
When the movie, “Widows”, was released last month, I jokingly suggested a discount for those of us who are actually widowed. Other widows felt the same and decided why stop at that movie? Widow discounts for everything! Applebee's should offer a 1 for $10...
How Love Changes Post-Loss
It’s often said that when a widow loses a spouse, her heart expands to allow new love in. While I absolutely believe this to be true, I often wonder about the section of my heart that remains off limits. The part that never imagined ‘til death do us part’...
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner – How to Welcome a Widow’s New Partner
With the holiday season upon on us, many are beginning to plan family gatherings and get-togethers. This time of year can also be stressful for a widow or widower who has anxiety about introducing a new partner to the entire family. If the celebration is at the...
Don’t Judge a Widow for Dating – Salute Her
Don’t ever judge a widow for opening her heart to love again. Dating after the loss of a spouse takes balls. Giant ones. To believe in a happily ever after when yours was unfairly and untimely ripped from you... To have to take a self-inventory of who you are -...
No, You Don’t Know What My Husband Would Have Wanted
It seems family, friends, and in-laws all want to offer their two-cents to widows. While some advice is genuine and comes from the person’s heart, there are some propositions that apparently came straight from our spouses, delivered to us via an estranged...
The Beauty After The Pain
A short time after losing my husband, I received the horrible news that my pregnancy was in jeopardy. My daughter was diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and not growing at a “normal” rate. Additionally, there were a series of other...