AKA "The Writing Woman"
Yesterday marked 17 months since my husband died. So much has changed in my life since then. I’ve grieved, and grieved, and grieved some more. I’ve worked through the grief, written through the grief, talked to my grief counselor, cried on the shoulders of family and friends, and – to be honest – I’m really,…
I’m on the cusp of a new life, but it’s difficult to leave the old one behind. And, if I’m honest with myself, I feel guilty and sad, regretful that I have been able to survive without Rick, that I am making that new life on my own. When Rick died, I never thought this…
Now that you’ve been gone so long And life and time keep moving on I spend less time within my room Crying, weeping, feeling gloom Those days, those months of constant grief Incessant pain with no relief The unrelenting agony Of knowing you are gone from me Have seemed to pass and though I’m sad…
… But some nights, I lie down on my side, pull the covers around me, and put out the light, and I sense him there. It’s not a conscious decision; it just happens. I feel him scooch over next to me from behind and pull me to him, and snuggle up against me. I feel…
I’m used to life without you I’ve made all new routines The quiet house seems normal now My life’s gone on, it seems I function out in public Can hold my tears inside No longer overcome with sobs Seeking a place to hide I’m used to traveling on my own And tables set for one…
Sometimes, I can still hear your voice in my head telling me, “I love you honey.” I can still hear you saying, “It will be OK.” And every now and then one of your catchphrases pops into my head: “That’s why they call me ‘the big fella,’” or even, “Shut the hell up.” When something…
I was missing Rick on our second Thanksgiving apart, and my second birthday without him, but I realized that he will never truly be gone. Thanksgiving Day, 2018 Another holiday is done The kids came by and we had fun I’m thankful for my family And how my life’s turned out to be But now…
…After 15 months of widowhood, I’ve pretty much adapted to my current status. And, sometimes, when I take inventory of where my life is headed, now that I’m on my own, I ask myself, Other than the fact that your husband is dead, how do you like your life? And the answer is – I have…
After more than a year of coming to terms with Rick’s death, today I came to realize that grieving is just a long-running battle with the words I tell myself in my head. There’s a voice in a continuously running monologue that tells me things that I need to either heed or ignore, words to…
… So here I am, with all the usual stress inducers (and more) and no Rick to balance it all out for me. No backrubs. No one to say, “Don’t worry, honey, none of that matters. Let’s take a drive through the park.” I am graced with the support of wonderful friends and family, so…