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If I am not helping my neighbor, then why am I here?
I saw this sign on the wall of my doctor’s office as I waited for him to enter the examination room. I asked him about it, and he told me his 8-year-old granddaughter gave it to him a few years ago. Of course, she loves her grandpa and wants others to know what a wonderful…
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Golden Bachelor Marriage Ends Quickly – Why?
Recent headlines about the very brief three-month marriage of Widower Gerry Turner (the first Golden Bachelor) and Theresa Nist coming to an end, raise some interesting questions. The pace of the Golden Bachelor program is frenetic. It expects a Bachelor to identify, court, and then marry a new bride after just a few months of…
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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 # 10
Quick Hitters are brief responses to Questions author Fred Colby posed 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 #10: I am thinking about traveling again, but by myself now. This is kind of scary. What tips can…
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Spring Ahead to Move Forward
Spring Ahead to Move Forward A few weeks ago, in the United States, we followed the tradition we didevery spring: we pushed our clocks ahead by one hour. It allows more sunlighteach day and marks the entrance of another season: Spring. For some of us wholive in the northeast, it means the end of our…
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Moving Forward or Moving On?
Is there a difference? One just sounds like it has a negative connotation attached to it. Moving forward sounds like a step in the right direction whereas ‘moving on’ sounds like you are done with the past, you are done grieving, and you are ready to ‘forget’. But, is there really a difference? Is forgetting…
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Don’t Stop Living Because I Died.
In about two months, I will approach the fourth anniversary of my wife’s death. As I reflect on her passing again, I am reminded of a conversation she and I had about six months before she died. I remember one night feeling so low that I said to my wife I want to go with…
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What Can Matt & Ben Teach Widowers?
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck seem unlikely to be the pair that will teach widowers how to heal and regain purpose and joy in their lives. But in fact, they are an excellent example for us to follow. As I have mentioned before, when a husband dies, his wife will likely be surrounded by her…
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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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HERE’S A HAPPY ENDING
Herb has asked me to write a short piece about my story and offer some hope to the men who are in this forum who are struggling with their grief. The month of March is particularly poignant because I lost my dear wife, Susan, four years ago this month. But I never imagined the beautiful…
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