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The Writing Widow

AKA "The Writing Woman"

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Category: Grief

grief journey
July 16, 2022

Our 25th Anniversary – Hope for Widows blog post

This past Tuesday was our 25th wedding anniversary and I celebrated alone, sitting under the windchimes in my gazebo. A small portion of Rick’s ashes are in the chimes, so I always feel like he’s with me when I sit there. It was his favorite place to sit in the evenings, so I thought it was the perfect location to … Read the blog

April 9, 2022

Love Is All – Sadly Erasing Him From My Future

I attended a writers’ conference two weeks ago. I’m still working (reworking) my plans for life without Rick after retirement. We had big plans. We started our web design business in 2001 with the goal of having plenty of work that we could enjoy doing together remotely from our favorite spot in Florida half the year, and back near our … Read the blog

surviving grief
March 27, 2021

50 Things – New post on the Hope for Widows website

Every morning I read a list of fifty things I have to be thankful for. I started doing this a few months ago; it was something my grief therapist suggested to help me get through the uncertainty and loneliness of life during the pandemic. Yes, I am still seeing a grief counselor, although, at this point, it’s not to help … Read the blog

grief and holidays
February 14, 2021

Flowers for No Reason – A poem on the Hope for Widows blog

FLOWERS FOR NO REASON

My life went on without you
I’ve lived through every season
But since you died, the thing I miss
Is flowers for no reason

These Hallmark Holidays, you claimed,
Were not what proved devotion
It was the times lived in between…
Vacations near the ocean

Or evenings on our backyard deck
And private jokes we shared…
Read the blog

my rock
June 16, 2020

Missing My Rock – Newest blog on the Hope for Widows website

I’ve been thinking lately that I don’t really identify as a widow much anymore. In two months, Rick will have been gone three years. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it’s true. I have carved out a new life without him, and it’s a full one. My home looks different, my routine is different, and I’m used to sleeping … Read the blog

May 3, 2020

Loving this Moment – this month’s blog on the Hope for Widow’s website

It’s the beginning of my eighth week of isolation – quarantining during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s a beautiful sunny day in Michigan. I can finally see summer around the corner! My mood is as sunny as the day, because I’m getting ready to visit my two youngest grandsons.

This decision wasn’t made lightly. My son, daughter-in-law, and I have weighed … Read the blog

boysandme
April 27, 2020

Surviving Hug Withdrawal – Latest post on the Hope for Widows website

I’m a hugger. A cuddler. A squeezer.

Touching and affection are powerfully important elements that keep me happy, sane, and functioning. I know I’m not alone in this. Quarantining is wreaking havoc with the psyches of many of us who are stuck in our homes by ourselves, with no outlet for our love and affection.

Missing Rick’s hugs – his … Read the blog

February 28, 2020

Three Years Ago Today – Latest blog on the Hope for Widows site

My friend Jo sent me a Facebook memory. Three years ago today, I was with Rick on the Florida gulf. We were sitting with Jo watching a gorgeous sunset in Rick’s favorite spot on Madeira Beach. I sat staring at the photo, unable to remember exactly how I felt that evening. Despite the beauty of the sunset, I know I … Read the blog

grief journey
November 30, 2019

Seeing the Light – Hope for Widows blog

The overhead lights in the hallway started flickering again a couple of weeks ago. This hasn’t happened in a while, not a long while. When Rick first died, the ceiling lights in the kitchen started to flicker one night. I was washing dishes and could see them flickering out of the corner of my eye, but, oddly, when I looked … Read the blog

new normal
November 12, 2019

Confusion (or…the New Normal)

My years as a married woman continue to fade into the past and I’ve become accustomed to being single again. I no longer expect Rick to be here when I get home. I can’t count on him for the numerous things I used to: cooking for me, lifting heavy objects, cuddling, dancing. He’s no longer here to listen while I  … Read the blog

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“A Widow’s Words” Available on Amazon.com

“I Wanted to Grow Old With You” Color Version Paperback Available on Barnes and Noble

“I Wanted to Grow Old With You” Available on Amazon (Paperback and eBook)

Year Two

grief year two

The Cure

the cure a poem about cancer and grief

I Wanted to Grow Old With You

Grief and Loss of Hope

If I Could Have You Back for One Day

Archives

Recent Posts

  • Annie’s Song – February 2023 blog on the Hope for Widow’s website February 26, 2023
  • Leaving the Past Behind – Hope for Widows Blog January 16, 2023
  • The Golden Years – a Poem on the Hope for Widows website November 18, 2022
  • Autumn Leaves, 2022 October 22, 2022
  • The Pink Pool Noodle – October 2022 Hope for Widows post October 15, 2022
  • Rick Roy August 22, 2022

Rick and Gerry – 2016

Rick and Jonas

https://youtu.be/aveVSwyBjaY

Rick and Danielle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvgjw4nXEFY

Rick singing Elvis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc0gZSV9jnA

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  • About Me
  • About the Blog
  • About Rick
    • My Eulogy for Rick
    • Rick’s Obit
  • The Anniversary Gift – a Memoir

I'm a guest contributor on the Hope for Widows Foundation website blog. This organization is a wonderful resource for those of us who are striving to continue to find hope after losing our husbands. Hope for Widows Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, opens the door to a new world for widows, ensuring they do not go through their experience alone, but with life-long connections and lasting support. Visit their website or Facebook page. Their private Facebook group is filled with loving, supportive fellow widows who have provided much love and encouragement to me since joining the group a week after Rick's death. I encourage you to join.

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