Imagine you’re driving in your car, enjoying the scenery. It’s a beautiful sunny day and you’ve been looking forward to this trip. You’re happy about being halfway to your destination and singing along with the radio, when – suddenly – the car next to you swerves in front of you and slams on the brakes. You slam on your brakes, … Read the blog
Still Alone – A Poem on the Hope for Widows Blog
I was pondering how different my life is now that I’m coming up on another new year without Rick. I’m used to this new normal. I’m past the heavy grieving stage, and I’m living the life of a single woman. I have a very full life. I spend time with my family, play with my grandchildren, and go out nearly … Read the blog
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
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
Happy Birthday to Me – New Post on the Hope for Widows Blog
So often now, in the midst of happiness, I’ll feel this gloom settle over me. I know right away that it’s not a “random” sadness; it’s definitely Rick-related. I feel those tears just below the surface, a very mild form of the horrible grief I had shortly after losing him, but it builds every day and it starts to intrude … Read the blog
Wanting What I Used to Have – Latest Blog on the Hope4Widows Site
Sunday afternoons used to be my favorite time of the week. Sunday afternoons on a chilly, gloomy fall day (as much as I HATE the approaching winter) were even better. Right about now, Rick would be ready for a nap. He would’ve just wrapped up some work on the website for one of our clients after a breakfast we shared … Read the blog
First Loves and Last Goodbyes – a Poem
I heard the news, and then I cried
A boy I used to love has died
We were just teens the night we met
No boy had ever kissed me yet
So long ago and far away
He smiled at me and made my day
He held my hand, he kissed my face
I followed him most any place
His … Read the blog
New Start, Bad Choices – Becoming a Wiser Widow (Hope 4 Widows Blog)
As time moves on, I feel less like a widow, and I begin to wonder how long I’ll still be writing a widow’s blog. But it may be for a little while longer, because even as I continue to pursue my new life, the “single woman” life, being a widow affects how I think and the decisions I make. It … Read the blog
Beneath the Surface – A Poem
Beneath the surface, the pain waits
For the waves of movement to stop
For your flurry of activity to slow
For the churning waters of your busy life to settle
The life you were so proud of recreating from the ashes
Beneath the surface, the pain waits
For the quiet times,
The peaceful times
When life is lovely and your … Read the blog
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