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Four Things Grief has Taught Me
Since losing my late wife Ursula on October 16, 2023, I have had my moments of grief. I never imagined becoming a widower at age 57. We were supposed to grow old as we rode into the sunset together. It’s been tough, and I know the grieving process is far from over, But through this…
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UNDERSTANDING CAN BRING PEACE
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 sort of conversation, but it was like business only. I wasn’t sure if I was seeing a personality characteristic or…
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There is No Timeline for Grief
I was sitting in an airport the other evening waiting for my flight home. I had a wonderful visit with my children and grandchildren and thought about the fun and laughs we shared for several days. As it often happens, a story about grief will pop up on my phone as I write about it…
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YOU ARE THE BOSS NOW!
Remember when you were young, married, and full of misconceptions about your life and marriage? Previously, in our more male-dominated society, you might have believed that as the husband, you were the “boss” in the family! Ha…Ha! Many of us eventually found what a joke that belief was! We often learned that making solo decisions…
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What Can Help Me to Heal?
We have heard it said by many experts there is no correct path on how to deal with grief. Every person’s journey is different, and the roads we travel will be filled with twists and turns. As our founder Herb Knoll has stated many times sitting on the couch will never help us to heal.…
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Overcoming Loneliness And Suicidal Thoughts
I, and many others who write about the widower experience, often speak of loneliness. Paired with the pain of our grieving, loneliness is perhaps the most threatening challenge we face. Why? Because it often builds upon our grief and spreads its seeds of depression, self-doubts, and regrets. This often leads to something we are hesitant…
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Forgiveness – what role does it play in my grief journey?
Guilt and anger are recognized characteristics of the grief journey – Guilt over what could have been done or should have been done; guilt over things left unsaid or things that were better left unsaid; guilt over those fleeting moments where a smile might form around the corners of your mouth; guilt for some unknown…
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Learn to Live in Joy, Not the Pain and Sadness.
Someone recently asked me: “What’s the most difficult part of losing your spouse”? I said: “How much time do you have”? as my answer will be long. In the interest of brevity, however, I said after the early dark days, weeks, and months, I started to see some signs of hope. I put into place…
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No More Dreams
I think I saw a miracle… alive and walking free ~ My heat wants to believe it’s true; but, it can’t really ‘be’; Yet, at the time, it seemed so real… and I could see your ‘smile’ – and then I worke and knew that I had dreamed it all the while. I tried so…
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QUICK HITTERS # 8
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 #8: When should I consider signing up for Grief Therapy or a Grief Group? How can this help…
Widowers Support Network 