My family and friends were my rock when my spouse died. They showed up for me every step of the way – from being there as I made funeral arrangements to offering words of encouragement on my darkest days.

But, no matter how supportive they were, I never felt safe enough to respond accurately to the question I heard almost daily, “How are you?” Maybe I hesitated because I feared my response. Maybe I felt they couldn’t handle the rawness of what I would say.

How do you put into words the emptiness that now consumes you? How do you explain the disconnect you feel from a world in which your person no longer exits? How do you contain the anger boiling within you after you’ve been robbed of your dreams and future?

Instead, “okay” or “hanging in there” became my standard response.

I didn’t know any other widowed people. Despite my support system being a phone call away, I felt utterly alone with my thoughts. They didn’t get it. Heck, I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand how my life had been flipped completely upside down just six days after my first wedding anniversary.

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It wasn’t until I met a fellow widow that so much of what I felt began to make sense. I hadn’t even realized the impact of just being with someone who could relate to my story in a personal way. There is power in hearing, “Me too.” There is healing in someone truly understanding your pain.

Don’t get me wrong. My hurt hearts for everyone who has lost a spouse or partner. I wish they never had to take this widowed journey or experience the heartache of having loved and lost. I wouldn’t wish widowhood on my worst enemy. It completely changes you and splits your world into “before” and “after.”

But, I know what it’s meant for me to be with others who get it – in-person or virtually. A while back, a community of widows decided to share the date and year we lost our spouses or partners. I found someone who lost her spouse on the exact same date. I immediately felt a connection. On the very worst day of my life, she was also hurting. She, too, was dealing with the shock and numbness that comes with the rug being pulled out from under you with little to no warning. Whenever my mind takes me back to the day, I’m overcome with sadness for that version of myself. Yet, I also think of my “widow twin” and feel a level of comfort knowing I wasn’t truly alone in the midst of my devastation.

There is power in connections. I was recently reminded of this through my participation in an Audio Room offered by the award-winning online group therapy platform. Offered Monday-Friday, from 6-11 p.m. eastern, the complimentary Audio Room provides a safe space to connect with others dealing with the loss of a loved one.

At first, I was worried it would be “triggering” hearing others share the rawness of their grief, but it’s been such a positive, reassuring, supportive environment. It’s great being with others who “get it.” I’m with people who understand grief isn’t measured in months and years, and there is no “getting over” the loss. I’m able to talk with others in various phases of their loss, and there is always an interesting perspective that can be applied to my own life. The Audio Room is the perfect forum because everyone understands the ebbs and flows of grief – how things are great one minute and the next, you’re a sobbing-in-the-shower mess.

I encourage you to reach out and connect with others, whether through an in-person support group, virtually, or even in a Circles’ Audio Room. Don’t underestimate the power that comes with connecting. It can be an essential part of your healing, regardless of where you are in your grief.

Research shows connecting with others has documented health benefits as well. It can lower anxiety and depression, help regulate emotions, improve self-esteem and even boost our immune system.

Please know you’re not alone. Take the first step today to find your tribe!

Kerry runs a support group for young widows and widowers venturing back into the world of dating and is a contributor to Open to Hope. She is the author of “Letters to the Widowed Community” and “The One Thing: 100 Widows Share Lessons on Love, Loss, and Life.” Her articles on widowhood and grief have been featured in HuffPost and Love What Matters. She’s also the host of the Young, Widowed & Dating podcast.