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#UpspiralGrief with Herb Knoll
Herb Knoll is a former banking executive turned widower advocate. Herb lost his bride, Michelle Knoll in 2008 to pancreatic cancer. He soon discovered there was few resources available for widowers in dealing with their grief. He resigned his position and rededicated his life to helping widowed men. Herb published his book, The Widower’s Journey…
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When Widows or Widowers Feel Like They Are Cheating – What Do You Do?
When your new widow girlfriend feels like she is cheating on her deceased husband, what do you do? Or maybe you are the one feeling like you are cheating on your dead wife. Are these feelings normal? How do you deal with this without blowing up your new relationship? Before entering a new serious relationship,…
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Life Is Best When Lived In Pencil – Part 4
I just got home from church. A wonderful message was presented by the minister today centered on the fact that even if life doesn’t take you where you think it will, you’ll still be OK. He told us that life can still be good even when our plans get changed, our dreams get dashed and…
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Metamorphosis
I have recently experienced my first grief support group. It was a baptism by fire. The hospice for which I volunteer is a large one. It is the practice of hospices to provide bereavement support to survivors of hospice patients. Leading this support is the bereavement coordinator, a licensed clinical social worker, and a small…
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Playing Not To Lose
by David W. Welday March Madness is here! Whether or not you follow college basketball, it’s hard not to be aware that the NCAA college basketball tournament (affectionately known as “March Madness”) is happening. In our family we all fill out a bracket…some of us take it seriously while others fill out their bracket…
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What is the biggest regret you had after your spouse died? – And how are you using it to help yourself heal?
The title of my article is based on a question recently posed by our Founder, Herb Knoll, to a group of widowers. It is both a challenging and painful question to answer, but it can also be a helpful tool in healing. I don’t propose any clear-cut way to answer the question; it’s purely subjective,…
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QUICK HITTERS # 3
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. QUESTION: What is the most important thing for me to do for myself after my wife dies?Jesse Brisendine – Gather a…
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Flying Solo
Recently I was having a conversation with my son, and he asked me how I was feeling. I told him I was ok. Every four or five months I see my cardiologist and primary care physician who monitor my health. For the most part I am fine: overweight as I have been most of my…
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The Human Body Has A Mind Of Its Own
Grief is a powerful emotion that alters the chemical balance in your body; sudden loss (an unplanned, prolonged separation) triggers a cascade of changes that lead to depression. Research has shown that a brain chemical known as “corticotropin-releasing factor,” a neurotransmitter released as a stress response, was elevated in persons who had experienced the sudden…
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WSN: Moving Forward
Many of us in the WSN are familiar with Nora McInerny’s Ted Talk on moving forward vs. moving on. Her theme is we do not move on from grief but move forward with it. (If you have not seen it, you can view It on YouTube).This theme framed how I moved forward in this unwelcomed…
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