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The Writing Widow

AKA "The Writing Woman"

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Category: Hope

February 8, 2022

A Piece of Him Inside Me – February’s blog on Hope for Widows’ Site

One of my new favorite shows, 1883, has the characters saying some memorable lines. Since I’m involved in a relatively new romance, some of the lines about love give my heart a pleasant little twinge. But a discussion about grief in the last episode left me sobbing in a way I haven’t in a while. It was that pleasure/pain … Read the blog

September 6, 2021

The Dating Widow

I don’t often write much here about my dating experiences or my new relationships. For one reason, this is a blog about widowhood and grief, and not about virtual dating or how to navigate the dating world. For another reason, no one would believe some of the stories I could tell. It’s been interesting, to say the least. 

But the … Read the blog

chapter 2
May 6, 2021

The Heartbreak of a New Beginning – Hope for Widows Blog

…It’s an elusive feeling this time. The grief. The heartbreak. This makes it all final. Rick is gone and he’s never coming back. Another man is holding my hand, telling me he’s crazy about me, kissing me, “smitten” with me. And it’s one of the most bittersweet things I’ve encountered on this long, complicated grief journey.

I guess it’s time … 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

October 1, 2020

Advice from a Seasoned Widow

Everyone experiences the loss of a loved one, and the losses compound as we age. In my 63-year span on earth, I’ve lost my father and mother, and all my grandparents, aunts, and uncles. The entire older generation is gone and now I’m losing my peers, too – cousins and friends, alike. I have felt the pain of every one … Read the blog

coping with anxiety
March 28, 2020

Five Self-Quarantine Coping Tips From My Therapist

After Rick died, I started grief therapy. Once I made it through the first year, I decided to stick with my counseling sessions because it was time for some “life therapy.” Why not take advantage of someone to help me make better choices and truly enjoy the last few decades of my life? I made quite a few mistakes in … Read the blog

anticipatory grief
March 27, 2020

Anticipatory Grief in the Pandemic – Hope for Widows blog

Waiting has always been hell for me. I’m an extremely impatient person and have been this way since I was a child. But, enduring this coronavirus pandemic, waiting and watching as this impending doom grows closer and more certain, takes on a horror all its own. I’ve been sitting alone in my home for nearly two weeks now. Waiting to … Read the blog

grief journey
March 20, 2020

Facing a Crisis Alone – New blog on the Hope for Widows website

The world is a scary place right now, and I know there are a lot of people alone in their homes, waiting it out. There are many who have always been alone, who have never found a companion they wanted to share their lives with, and I feel for them now. But as a widow, I know that I’m in … Read the blog

dating widow
September 21, 2019

The Awkward Phase – a Widow Dating

You know that awkward teen phase where you’re trying to come to terms with who you are, how you fit in the world, what you want to be when you grow up? That’s me at 62.

I’m a mature woman (well, according to my son, and many of my closest friends, that may not always be true). But, to the … Read the blog

September 15, 2019

Life Lessons From My Grandchildren

When my son was a toddler, I wanted time to stand still. I loved being a mother. I loved the daily cuteness and cuddling and knew I’d never enjoy anything in life as much as I did being his mom. But he continued to grow, and each year, I enjoyed life more. His million questions, his sloppy kisses, holding him … 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

  • 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
  • Still Picking Up the Pieces – Latest blog on the Hope for Widows website August 13, 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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