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UNDERSTANDING CAN BRING PEACE
David Knapp Greg arrived at our house ready to do the handyman job we had contracted. I noticed he was solemn and short with his replies. As the morning progressed, I tried to engage him in some conversation, but it was like business only. I wasn’t sure if I was seeing a personality characteristic or…
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Whistle Past The Graveyard
Whistle past the graveyard is an old expression. Here’s how the dictionary defines the phrase: Definition of whistle past the graveyard: to act or talk as if one is relaxed and not afraid when one is actually afraid or nervous. He displays a confident manner, but he may just be whistling past the graveyard. I…
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Looking back to move ahead.
Over the past few weeks, I have been re-reading my journals. At the suggestion of my grief counselor over two- and one-half years ago, I started to write a journal. I have many composition books that contain my feelings, thoughts, and emotions that chronicle the last three years of my journey in the world of…
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ROB
“I have been looking forward to our visit ever since you promised to come to see me at my wife’s funeral,” Rob began. “I would give about anything if someone would just show up at my house, uninvited, and offer to talk or do something for me. In my grief, I don’t always know what…
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Isolation Kills, Stay Connected
Jasmine was first admitted to the hospital at the height of the COVID pandemic and placed in isolation, which meant no visitors allowed. I had been recovering at home from my bout with COVID. Four days later, I drove an hour to the hospital to be re-examined (I had COVID pneumonia). After my exam, I requested permission…
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Spring Ahead with Gratitude
Spring weather has finally arrived for those of us who live in the Northeastern part of the United States. In Upstate New York, the last vestiges of snow are disappearing, and I can see glimpses of slightly green grass. Warmer temperatures will change my mood after a long winter of cold and dark days. However,…
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The Fourth Turn
By Michael K. Burroughs I had just turned 71 when my dear wife, Jan, passed away. We were four months shy of our 52nd Anniversary. Her doctors never expected her to make it to our 50th, following her third stroke that made her an invalid. They expected another stroke at any time, as she had…
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The Grief Club: My strength and hope
I never imagined that I would be a member of this group at age sixty-three. It’s a group no one wants to join, but circumstances, the loss of a loved one, put me into this club. You and I are part of a group of strangers, most of whom we would never have…
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What We Share with Fellow Widowers
Author, Widower to Widower By Fred Colby All widowers have something in common… we are going, or have gone, through hell on earth. We may have different experiences on this journey, but we also have many commonalities… especially if we were fortunate enough to have a good loving marriage. We can support each other by…
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Reaching for Help
An Excerpt from The Widower’s Journey (Taken from Chapter 2) As I said at the beginning of this chapter, grief means we’ve been cut off from a relationship that brought us all kinds of emotional benefits. Part of our recovery is finding sources of emotional support that will help assuage the sting of that loss.…
Widowers Support Network 