What I saw actually caused me to stumble a couple of steps. The clouds were in the form of a giant, wide Cross. The Cross looked like it was shooting up from behind the mountain and straight into the sky. #afterlife #proofofheaven
How one woman used #running to help survive the loss of her husband and raise two boys on her own.
It has been six years since the tragedy at Sandy Hook and there have been numerous mass shootings since then. I continue to experience extreme sadness every time there is a shooting. However, none of them have affected me as strongly as Sandy Hook. Perhaps Sandy Hook affected me more because my son was the same age as those children. Perhaps it was because it was the first big mass shooting after losing my husband. I don’t know. All I know is that I still, six years later, think about the children whose lives were lost that day and their parents. #runningthroughgrief #sandyhook #rememberingsandyhook #grief
My sons and I recently welcomed a new member to our family, a beautiful white lab named Aspen. But her arrival has put me back into my Widow’s funk. As much happiness as Aspen brings to my boys, and admittedly me at times, her arrival has also been a bitter reminder that I am alone. The past two weeks have shone a light on the fact that I am raising two boys, and now a puppy, on my own. It’s just me. I don’t have a partner anymore. I never really forget this but sometimes I can ignore it. However, in this time of Puppy-Ville, I can’t ignore it. #puppy #keeprunning #solomom
Grief counselors will tell you that guilt is a natural part of grief. It’s a natural part of the process and the goal is not to get stuck. The difficult part for me was that I found it impossible not to get stuck in the negative feelings of grief without the assistance of my Therapist and I was not ready to voice these things I felt guilty about. #grief #guilt #widowhood #widow #death
Summer, for me, is the easiest time to be a Widow with kids. It’s the only time of year where I can somewhat catch my breath. It’s the time of year when I can spend more time with my kids. It’s the season where I am actually, ever so slightly, a better, more fun Mom. It’s the only time when I can actually relax for more than one hour a month.
For that reason, I believe that Gordie hand-picked Kevin and asked God to put Kevin in our path. Kevin has the qualities that Gordie would have wanted in a substitute Dad for his boys: kind, generous, a little wild, funny, a passion for sports, a guy who can fix things, and a bit of a rebellious side. When I am running, I often think about Gordie and Kevin. In another lifetime, I think they would have been good friends. Sometimes on those runs it makes me sad that they never actually met. But I know that they will meet one day…hopefully not for a good 50 years. I can tell you what will happen at that first meeting.
My plea to anyone considering suicide is to think about your family…and family does not always mean blood relatives. Even if you have a horrible family, there are probably other people in your life who love you and who would be thrown into a world of grief if you died. #suicide #mentalillness
I know he hates not having a Dad. I know that he wonders why God took his Dad away. I know he wonders why this happened to him. I know that he would give up everything, including his pitching arm, to have his Dad back. But he does not cry, at least not in front of me. He does not get angry about it. He does not act out because of it. He does not get in a significant amount of trouble. He does not lie in his room and sulk. He’s f’ing amazing.
This week a 15 year old boy drowned in a pool at a local highschool in my town. I have been unable to get him and his family out of my mind. I do not pretend to know the grief of losing a child but I do know what it’s like to lose someone in a pool. Death, in any circumstance, is horrible. Death by…
As I peddled my indoor bike, I thought about it. Maybe National Widows Day is intended to bring awareness about Widowhood. So, I asked myself “what would I want people to be aware of regarding Widowhood?” Here is what I came up with.