WSN: Widower, Wounded, Warrior, Waking and Walking by Jeff Ziegler I have done a lot of work on myself over the last two years since Suzanne died. This morning, I had a revelation. My attention has been scattered. The revelation came when listening to a podcast about brain science. It dawned on me that IContinue reading “Focused Attention”
Category Archives: Mental/Emotional Health
Thanksgiving 2020
WSN: Some winning thoughts from Jim Winner Is it just me, or is it hard to believe that next Thursday is Thanksgiving? I see and hear of a lot of people struggling as we enter this Holiday season. I understand entirely. COVID-19, quarantine, face-masks, and everything else could make a person wonder how even toContinue reading “Thanksgiving 2020”
Joy Comes In the Morning
WSN: Death, Disease, Divorce By Cynthia Mascarenhas Waits The single biggest challenge one is faced with after experiencing the death of a loved one, the crippling emotional and physical ramifications of a disease, or the devastation of divorce is the decision to “move on” or “move forward.” While many extraneous factors come into play, ourContinue reading “Joy Comes In the Morning”
Sleep
WSN: Widow-Man with Dr. Nyle Kardatzke “I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.” -Robert Frost, from “On Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” Sleep is a great healer, but it can be elusive in a time of grief. Some men have trouble falling asleep. Others sleep easily but wakeContinue reading “Sleep”
Am I Cheating?
There is a feeling of fall in the air. Depending on where you live, you may have noticed the nights are feeling a little cooler, and the morning air is feeling a little brisker. Where I live, I have also seen the leaves on the trees are starting to lose their spring/summer green color. OneContinue reading “Am I Cheating?”
Escaping Anxiety
When my wife passed 4 years ago, I first experienced shock and then numbness, after that anger and depression, and after that resignation and doubts about my future without her. It wasn’t until around my sixth month of grieving that I began to experience something unfamiliar to me since my 20’s and 30’s, anxiety… andContinue reading “Escaping Anxiety”
What I Miss Most
The current Corvid 19 pandemic effected most people’s life in some way. As a widowed man and an empty nester, the current protocol that I have chosen to follow has given me a significant amount of time to reflect on my life. Recently I gave a lot of thought to what I miss most aboutContinue reading “What I Miss Most”
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify!
Last month, I spent 12 days with my daughter in Oregon. We rented an AirBnB. We enjoyed a lot of time in the mountains of the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests. She’s an avid hiker, and like me, loves the outdoors. The more time I spent in the woods, the more I felt myself reallyContinue reading “Simplify, Simplify, Simplify!”
It is okay to be happy
Have you ever felt guilty or maybe even startled at a smile on your face? If you have, there is no reason to feel any shame. Let me explain. As my wife and I battled her disease, there where many times that I felt guilty about being able to do things she could not. IContinue reading “It is okay to be happy”
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Forever
As I sit down to share my thoughts with you, it has been 64 months since I joined the community of widowed men. During that time, I have experienced so many things. Currently, as I find myself navigating this period, I call social distancing, I find myself with a lot of time to be aloneContinue reading “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Forever”