Allowing chinks in the armor protecting my heart. Dating as a young widow. Also published in Elephant Journal - as "How to Love A Widow"
Opening my heart to loving again
What do you do? (or Who are you?)
When you have young children, you meet people all the time through playgroups/daycare and then another new community when children start school. It is a time in your life when you usually share a lot of information about yourself to build friendships and support networks. You disclose what you do for work, how you live and from that you find commonalities. My husband and I had a significant difference to other parents that we met. We were riding the terminal brain cancer roller coaster.
How are you?
Responding to "How are you?" & why I was grateful that widows no longer wear black. Exchanging simple every day greetings of “Hello and how are you?” often felt excruciating when I was caring for my husband as he was dying and then when I was recently widowed and intensely grieving. I realised that for... Continue Reading →
Soothing and Shocking Condolences
Sympathy cards were comforting - and they were also jarring reminders of my new reality. I felt numb following my husband's funeral. Although the brain cancer rollercoaster ride had ended - I was not ready to disembark from the ride and face all the aspects of loss. I was shaken. I was afraid that if I stood... Continue Reading →
Books & Blogs – My Support Group
A list of some of my favourite books & blogs. But first... Support groups didn't work for me during the different phases of my journey as a brain cancer carer and then young widow and single mum. Mick and I did not have the time or the headspace to join a brain cancer support group... Continue Reading →
Capturing stories to share with my children
I feel a weight of responsibility to make sure that my children feel their father's presence in their lives and feel that they have a good sense of him even though they will have minimal memories of their own. We have photos, we have mementoes and a chest of drawers of his favourite things and I... Continue Reading →
Listening within
When my husband died, I felt numb and trepidation at the thought of being with grief and facing many dimensions of loss. This is what I heard deep within - whenever I had a moment to listen.
