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.
Death Doesn’t Get to Win
It’s been 4 years, 10 months and 8 days since I became a widow. If I’ve learned nothing else about this journey, I’ve learned that death doesn’t give a damn about you, your life or your family. Death didn’t care that I was in church, worshiping as my hubby took his...
Widow Myths, Lies & Other Fallacies
As I stick my toe back into the world of dating, especially online, I’m forced to choose a status: single or widowed. I’m always hesitant to select “single” because it feels like I’m denying my marriage. If I go with “widowed”, then I have to deal with all the...
Lessons From First Post-Loss Relationship
A bit over a year ago—nearly 4 years post-loss—I thought I was ready to jump back into the world of dating. After setting up my dating profile, I was inundated with messages. I was “fresh meat”. After sifting through, I complained about each of the senders. His...
Before You Judge Another Widow/Widower
At some point, most everyone in the widowed community hopes to emerge from the black hole of grief. In no way do we ever truly escape grief but we desire to get to a place where we can carry on despite the loss of our spouse. We want to move beyond the depression,...
Getting To The Joy: A Widowed Journey
I was standing in the kitchen in my condo when it happened. My sister-in-law was on the phone and we were talking about my husband – how his death was so sudden and had caught everyone off guard. I can’t recall exactly what was said, but before I knew it, I was...
Honor A Late Spouse by Choosing Life
A recent incident took me back to a memory that had been neatly folded and tucked away in the furthest corner of my mind. I’d just gotten the call that my husband had died – unexpectedly, with no warning. After my brain processed the magnitude of what I’d heard while...
Beware Online Dating Military Scams
Shannon* was excited. She’d spent the last two months chatting with a handsome military man and tonight they were scheduled to have their first date. It didn’t matter that it was a virtual one. If things went well, an in-person date wouldn’t be far off. He just needed...
Five Lies Widows Tell Themselves
1. I'm Some How to Blame for My Spouse’s DeathWhen my husband died, I wasn’t there. Susan was right there, in their bedroom, as her hubby slipped away. Rachel argued with her spouse an hour before he took his life. Toya and her fiancé enjoyed a romantic dinner right...
Widows Share How Family and Friends Can be of Help
Death makes people uncomfortable. We get it. You’re unsure what to say…what to do. As widows and widowers, we often internalize the comments and actions made by family and friends that offend us. This can strain relationships and cause families to grow apart. Instead...
Grief Waves: Acknowledging the Pain
There are days where, despite your best efforts, the pain of losing your spouse hits you out of nowhere. Grief waves…that’s what another widow calls it. Today, it feels a typhoon. Part of being open and honest is acknowledging those days. People often assume that I’m...
What Kind of Widow Does That Make Me?
A widow who lost her spouse 3.5 years ago recently created a profile on an online dating site. She began chatting with a gentleman who naturally invited her to lunch. As with many widows who haven’t dated for years, if not decades, she went into panic mode. Should she...
Tips for Widows Wishing to Fast-Forward Through the Holidays
The holidays can be difficult for those missing a spouse. Gone are the thoughts of cutesy family photos and holiday cards. Instead, they’ve been replaced with obituaries, wills and memories. “I wish I could just skip the holidays!” is a sentiment shared among many in...
Your Grieving Heart: 20 Ways to Temporarily Improve Your Mood
When my hubby died, I walked around in a funk for quite a while. I lost a ton of weight and my clothes seemed to be wearing me instead of me doing the wearing. Last December, I decided 2016 would be the year I got my act together physically. I bought clothes that...
Finding Beauty Along My Widowed Journey
In the midst of losing a spouse, I never imagined that there would be light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been almost five years since I received the devastating call that would forever change my life. But, if I’m being truthful, there have also been some unexpected...
To The “Football Widow”
I get it. You ask your husband a question and it falls on deaf ears. You need help in the kitchen but he’s been parked in front of the television for the past four hours. You’re frustrated and at your wits' end. Nothing seems to ever get accomplished around the house...
For Everyone Telling Me I’m “So Strong”
You see me carrying on despite the horrible hand life dealt me. You wave as I pull the garbage bin to the curb each week, a chore my husband would always need a gentle reminder to complete. You pass me in the hallways at work, impressed that I’m able to continue as...
Online Scammers Target Your Heart Then Wallet
$176,000! I stared at the screen in disbelief as Dr. Phil circled the number on the display. That’s how much a 78 year old woman had sent to a man she’d been “dating” for two years though they’d never met in person. He reached out to her on a dating site and before...
40 Widowed Experiences on What Would Have Been His 40th Birthday
Today, October 31, would have been my husband's 40th birthday. I imagine he'd be asleep and, as the night owl I've always been, I'd be awake staring intently at the clock, waiting to rush into the hotel bedroom and sing Stevie Wonder's rendition of the "Happy...