Thank you, cousin Barry Weber for your thoughts on there’s no future in the past. After you take 3 minutes and 18 seconds to read this, I’ve included the Vince Gill song version of There’s No Future in the past, as it Fits Widowhood. Somedays, we just have had enough! The constant feeling of our loss is always inside us and always will be. The feelings are upfront and center… for me; it’s at bedtime or sitting beside me while driving. We feel and do as best we possibly can. I think, to put it into words, the lyrics of the song by the soft rock group America, “The Horse with No Name,” come ..read more

Widowhood is moving forward, then falling backward. Many times. I didn’t see any progress my first year as a widow until I looked back. That’s how it was for me. (Reading time 2 min 30 sec) My husband died suddenly, unexpectedly, almost five years ago. After close to a month in the hospital, I was in shock. I felt numb, with little emotion. Widowhood Year One in Black and White As so many speak of that first year, it is indeed memories only in black and white. Just a haze of memories. It was horrendously painful. My first experience with anxiety attacks started before I lined up any support ..read more

Widowhood timing is all up to God, of course. For me, the widowhood season includes staying connected with friends I’ve made along my way, building a new house, and finding someone who adds an extraordinary, new dimension to my life. I continue to see my faith strengthened in so many ways. Each of us in the widowhood season has a different path. In the last four years, I’ve learned that my spouse is and will always be in my heart. I discovered three key declarations to help me continue to choose my rather jagged path. My faith is the most significant influence on me and my actions. When Marty ..read more

Epic thoughts on making widowhood dating easier, or bearable, and just darn possible probably come about like many things in life: all experience. Find out in this 3-minutes 30-second read. It must be my husband Marty honestly spoiled me in the 47 years we were blessed in our marriage. Inside the life of our marriage, I felt it was typical with high points, low points, and sometimes the mundaneness during all those years. Dating at 72 is changing my perspective about a long-term relationship. Thought #1. Decide if you want to date and know your objectives. Dating in widowhood My objectives are ..read more

Dating realities in my widowhood. I blame my dating realities on my husband; God rest his soul. While I don’t recall the exact date he asked me some of the following questions, I clearly remember the conversation. My one-hour-long first date can be summed up in this 5 minute and 34 seconds read. As a usual morning might be for us, I stepped into his office to ask him, “Would you like a new cup or refill of coffee?” I love serving him coffee in the mornings. “Sure!” he said as he handed me his cup with that melt your heart smile. Away I went and came back within a minute or so, handing him the ..read more

Widows and widowers can integrate facts, feelings, and faith to strengthen us in our widowhood season. This is a 3 minutes 43 second read and then please, let us hear from you. Widows and widowers can integrate the facts, feelings, and faith to strengthen us in our widowhood season. Part of my working career was as a corporate trainer and speaker. My first speaker’s bureau representative thought she could make something attractive out of my cerebral approach to customer service, sales, and leadership issues. So here’s a glimpse of that integration. I thought little of this for those 20 plus ye ..read more

Can we make any sense of the widowhood season? I ask God to please continue to show me He is with me in this season. Not that He ever leaves me! It’s more like after my morning scripture meditation, and then it’s usually not until evening, I return to understand something more His book has to say. These days I’m rarely on Facebook. However, I find answers and share my personal experience in a couple of widow groups. This extra support reminds me that everywhere I go, there is a community for this life season.  Someone posted words sent by her counselor, June Wild Schnetler, in one of the ..read more

Thank you to my husband’s cousin Barry for contributing to how we grow on our own as widows and widowers. Take your time through this 3-minute read. And, then please comment to Barry how it might ring true, or not, for you? How Do We Grow On Our Own as Widows & Widowers? So, all is done the Funeral Services are completed and your sitting alone, thinking, “what’s next, what will I do now and is there any more?” Needless to say, others don’t realize, those who haven’t been through it, that we can be angry, sad and “confounded” all at the same time as we have become two people.  The one ..read more

A widow’s faith or fear – where’s the focus? If you know me at all, you recognize I want to use another f word. However, in my usual praying to God, “what is next up in my blog posts, Jesus?” I heard this still, gentle, soft voice say – not that F word. Thank you, God. After all, I’m a sassy, savvy widow now. No need for such language. Today anyway. “Faith and fear both demand of you to believe in something you cannot see. So choose faith.” Lisa Meta Griff, Insight Timer After almost 4 years, I think I might be savvier about this journey. But no, sometimes fear of different things wells up in ..read more

It never occurred to me I could move forward as a widow. But I discovered with my holistic and chakra healer; I use the Move Forward as a Widow with How You Know it’s Time to Get Off the Toilet Intuition. Or I just know how and when. Without a map for any of us widowed, women and men, the reality is it’s up to us to invent our map. Have you ever had non-widow friends, less frequently family, tell you what you “want to do” next? The hairs on the back of my head would stand up when any advice from people not experiencing this significant life event would offer advice like – have you considered a ..read more