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Gratitude
It is a simple word defined as a strong feeling of appreciation to someone or something for what the person has done to help you. It was not the first word that came to my mind four years ago when my wife spent the last 45 days of her life at a nearby hospital. We…
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Quick Hitters # 7
Quick Hitters are brief responses to Questions posed by author Fred Colby to his fellow WSN contributors. They offer a variety of perspectives on some of the most challenging questions facing new widowers. Enjoy. Quick Hitter Question #7: What is the most important thing to do to preserve my relationships with friends and family after…
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WHAT DO GERVAIS, BACKMAN, HANKS, AND GERRY TURNER HAVE IN COMMON?
All four men are bringing increased attention to widowers and the many issues we face after losing our wives. There is an upsurge in interest in widowers and their grief journeys due to these four men who have brought open and frank discussions of the topic to the forefront. We believe this will help break…
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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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Father’s Day Message for Children of Widowers
If your dad is a recent widower, there are ways you can help him on Father’s Day while also strengthening your family relationships. To ignore Father’s Day can be a missed opportunity and even a mistake that injects another layer of separation between the father and children. Based on my own experience, I can tell…
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Bereavement Scams
We have all heard about scams. Even the smartest and sharpest among us can fall victim to a scam. I have personally known several close friends who you would think knew better but ended up in a scam situation. I honestly saw red flags when they shared information about their “new love interest.” It all…
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Younger Widowers and Tuition
A young widow wondered: How can I ever pay their tuition? WILL BEING A PARENT ON YOUR OWN PUT YOUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE EDUCATION AT RISK? My kids’ post-secondary educations were taken care of well before my wife died. Younger solo parents may be far less prepared. When Mary passed away in 2020, my kids were…
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Lessons I Learned from A Man Called Otto
Two weeks ago, I decided to go to the movies and see the new film A Man Called Otto, starring Tom Hanks. Hanks has the title role based on a Swedish film called A Man Called Ove. I read many reviews and saw a mixed bag of comments, from disappointment in Tom Hanks; to dislike…
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New Year – New You – New Relationships?
Often after our wives pass, some other crisis will come along that shakes us and causes us to confront our current state of thinking about our life going forward. This may be just what is needed to wake us and point us into a more promising future. While being prepped for an emergency hernia operation…
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Each One, Help One
“Don’t hoard your lessons!” Those words hammered into the back of my mind one day, about three months after my second wife died. By then, I’d been asked to share my grief journey. Contrary, or maybe not, to what one may think, it came pretty easy to talk about and was beneficial to me. I…
Widowers Support Network 