widower – Page 27 – Peace, Love & Grief

Peace, Love and Grief… Remembering to Be Grateful

“Gratitude isn’t a natural response to adversity;
It’s a discipline you develop.”
~ Unknown

This time of year can be hard… First, this is the time of year focused on family. And while I have a wonderful family, for me there is someone missing… Bruce. It breaks my heart all over again every time I think about it. Then to add the part about be grateful, and the struggle gets a little harder.

It’s not that I’m not grateful, but missing Bruce during the holidays makes it that much harder to remember to be grateful. I actually have to make myself think about the things I have been blessed with rather than the one person I am missing. That may sound ridiculous, but it is a lot harder than one might think.

That first year, I was still too angry to be thankful for anything, (and I told God so). As the years have passed, my attitude has changed. For me the biggest change happened, when I stopped trying to understand why Bruce died, and started trusting that the God who created me, also loves me. (That was a lot harder than it sounds.)

I came to understand that this journey was not a punishment or a test. This death thing was not anything God wanted either. In fact, I have come to believe that when I hurt, he hurts. It took a while (a long while), but I gradually learned to trust in the “unchanging and loving character” of a God who loves me unconditionally, versus the “Gotcha God” that is so often preached.

It is a little hard to believe it is already Thanksgiving week again. I feel like I blinked and went from April to now. (I guess I was a little hyper-focused on getting well.) But now it is a time to be grateful, and I am… I really am. I am alive. My treatments are over. The cancer (as far as I know) is gone. It has been quite a journey, and I am so glad it is over.

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. I am still here… I get to still watch my grandson grow up. I get to spend time with my family, especially my kids and my sister. I get to watch the sunrise. I get to laugh and play and enjoy life.

What a gift! A gift I didn’t appreciate a few years ago. A gift I wasn’t sure I would have a few months ago. A gift not given to everyone who travels this path.

If there is one thing I learned when Bruce died, it was how short and unpredictable life is. And on this cancer journey, I learned that the things I thought were important before, really aren’t. In the past, I wasted a lot of time worrying or being upset about things that don’t matter now or aren’t even remembered anymore.

I have learned that life, love, and living each moment in a state of gratitude… that is important.

I have to say – this year has been a beast. Yet through it all, I know I have been blessed, and I am truly grateful.

“Gratitude is an attitude you choose,
Not a reaction to your circumstances.”
~ Unknown

What about you? Does any of this strike a chord with you? How do you handle family holidays? Have you always been able to be grateful or have you struggled with being grateful? You are not alone… We are all here together. Or maybe you have found a different way to cope… There is no one right answer. Who knows… you may hold the answer for someone else.

This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief

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Peace, Love and Grief… Happy Anniversary

I felt you today.
I felt the warmth of your smile,
And it made me laugh.
Thank you!
~ Linda, January 2018

This week Bruce and I would have celebrated our 13th anniversary. This is always such a bitter sweet day for me… So blessed to have loved Bruce, and so grieved at his loss. Maybe it sounds a little crazy but those are my feelings, and they can be a bit hard to reconcile.

This was my sixth year celebrating our love without him, and I thought I would spend it like I usually do – sunrise at the beach, some writing time, lunch at his favorite seafood place, some time to reminisce and dinner at “our” restaurant. However, life had different plans. I did get to start my day watching the sunrise are our favorite beach (also where his ashes were scattered). I was also able to end the day at “our” restaurant… The one he found and surprised me with so many years ago. But, all the time in between, seemed to get filled up with other things this year. Mainly, household chores which had been put off while I was undergoing treatment and a leaky hot water heater. (Thankfully, the water heater waited to die until I got back home, so there is no damage.)

As I was watching the sunrise, I did manage to get a little bit of writing done, so that is what I plan to share today. My letter to Bruce, which he will never read… And yet, I believe, he heard every single word as I sat there and wrote it.

“Happy Anniversary, Babe! Wow! Today would be 13 years… It seems like just yesterday. I can still see your face – your eyes looking straight into mine as you held my hands in yours and promised to love me… always. Nothing has changed that… Even as I sit here watching the waves, I know somewhere out there you still love me… And I hang onto that. (Maybe more than I should, but then again, who’s to say – I know what I know, and I feel what I feel.)

The sunrise this morning was beautiful. I was like a show just for me (us)… There were clouds covering the eastern sky, so I really thought I wouldn’t see it. But, at just the exact moment, a hole broke in the bottom of the cloud bank… just enough (and in the precise spot) so I could see the sun rise after all. There is a part of me that believes you did that for me. So, thank you!

I think I needed that… I need to know you’re still here. I haven’t felt you as much lately… There aren’t as many signs, which has made this year that much harder. In fact, doing this whole cancer thing without you has been hard. Everyone keeps telling me how great I’m doing and how strong and tough I am. But I don’t feel strong and tough. And as for the “great” part – it is as much “fake it till you make it” as anything else.

It’s actually more like when you died… I don’t feel strong at all. In fact, I’ve been really scared. But I did what I had to do because there wasn’t another (rational) choice. Just like when Matthew died or when I went through my divorce, loss has never been a “Oh, I am ready for this – bring it on” kind of thing – like the heroine of a story. (I wish it were that simple.) NO! It is more of a “Oh crap – What do I do now?”

Then, I take one step at a time – and only focus on the step I need to take in that moment. Anything else – focusing behind me or too far in front – becomes overwhelming.

And through all of these losses, (even before I knew you), I believe I missed you. Before I knew you, I missed being loved – truly loved and how that love can see you through the rough times. Then once I knew your love and lost it, I missed it even more, because I knew what I was missing.

Today is a day to remember that love… To remember a time when both of us were so sure of our love that we were willing to do whatever it took to be together. We were so sure of our future together… We had no idea how short our time together would be… But it was… We blinked, and it was over.

So, here I am, celebrating #13 alone… my sixth time celebrating “us” alone. It’s comforting know you are somewhere out there waiting for me…
I miss you! I love you so much! Thank you, Babe, for loving me… Thank you for marrying me… And thank you for waiting for me… I am yours – always and forever!”

I have learned to laugh again.
I have learned to find joy in the quiet moments spent with those I love.
But it still hurts.
I think it will probably always hurt…
Simply because you aren’t here.
~ Linda, January 2018

What about you? Does any of this strike a chord with you? How do you handle anniversaries of special times together? How did you handle those bittersweet days when your feelings don’t seem to be able to reconcile with each other? Maybe you have found a different way to cope… There is no one right answer. Who knows… you may hold the answer for someone else.

This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief

Peace, Love and Grief… Miracles and Purpose

Why did it turn out this way?
Did I do something wrong?
Does God hate me?
Am I really so bad?
I don’t want much…
Just you!
Why is that the one thing I can’t have?
~ Linda, January 2018

This week I watched the movie, Miracles from Heaven. It is the beautiful story of faith, miracles, family love, and near-death experiences. (I definitely recommend it, but be warned, it will tug at your heartstrings.) In the movie, there is a scene where the little girl has fallen and is unresponsive. However, the rescue workers cannot reach her. After several hours, the mother is watching in horror as the people around her start to discuss the likelihood that the child is already dead. The camera zooms-in on her face as the background noise becomes muffled and the world around her seems to fade into the background, as she focuses everything on the spot where her daughter has fallen. She slowly moves closer and closer to the rescue crew, unable to believe this is how it is going to end.

At that point, I lost it… Suddenly, I was taken back to that moment when the EMS crew was working on Bruce.

I had already been doing CPR until they arrived. At that point, they moved him to the floor just inside our bedroom and began working on him. I stood about ten feet away watching in horror. Just like the mother in the movie, everything became surreal… I watched in disbelief as the EMS crew tried everything available to get Bruce’s heart to start beating again… Like the movie, I was unable to believe this was how it was going to end… This couldn’t be happening… This couldn’t be real… I wasn’t ready for this!

In the movie, the girl is rescued alive… I don’t want to spoil the whole movie, but believe me when I say, her family got several miracles that day. And while I know it was selfish on my part, all I could think was how blessed they were, and how my family wasn’t given a miracle… Bruce’s eyes never opened; his heart never restarted, and he never took another breath. For us, it really was over… and I was devastated.

For years after Bruce died, that is where I stayed… That is where I struggled. I couldn’t understand why Bruce had to die, and why we weren’t given the miracles I had heard about all my life. Just like the mother in the movie, I even had people tell me it was my own sin or “wrong faith” which prevented any miracles and caused Bruce’s death.

But this week, I moved past those thoughts…

Right after watching the movie, as I was settling in for the night, my devotions were about our purpose and destiny in life. According to Victor Frankl, “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life… a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein, he cannot be replaced… everyone’s task is as unique as his specific opportunity.” The author then added, “God created you for a specific purpose. Your responsibility (and joy) is to identify it.”

That’s when I realized Bruce was my miracle… and still is… He had a purpose which he fulfilled while he was here… And he still has a purpose,which carries on even today.

Let me explain, what I mean…

While he was here, he showed me what unconditional love really is… He lived it every moment of our time together. He showed my children what a true man and a healthy marriage look like. And the healing he brought to my little family was nothing short of a miracle.

Move forward to today… There are so many things I am still learning from him, as I constantly contemplate how he chose to live his life. He showed me how to have patience and acceptance for others without ever compromising my own values. He also showed me this world doesn’t have to be a “them or us” place… There is room for all us with all of our different cultures, opinions and life styles. One of the main pieces of his legacy which I have drawn from lately is learning to have the strength and resilience to flow with whatever life throws my way (like this cancer journey of the past few months).

So that is our miracle…

The fact that his purpose is still alive and well, and his legacy is still being lived out daily… And as long his legacy is still being lived by those of us who love him, there will always be a piece of Bruce is this world.

What about you? Does any of this strike a chord with you? Did you ever experience that feeling of disbelief that your time together was over? How did you reconcile reality with what you thought would last forever? Maybe you learned a different way to cope… There is no one right answer. Who knows… you may hold the answer for someone else.

This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief

Peace, Love and Grief… Time Moves on But My Heart Doesn’t

Sometimes I can’t breathe for the pain of it.
Other times I smile and laugh at the thought of our memories.
You were always that way…
making me smile or laugh when I wanted to cry…
when the pain was so bad.
Now my heart hurts…
truly, physically hurts with the missing of you.
I feel your soul;
I know you are here.
But I need to see your eyes and your smile;
Feel the comfort of your arms.
I want to breathe in your presence
and feel your love in all these things.
But that isn’t to be…
All I have are the memories;
The memories of our love…
And…
Sometimes I can’t breathe for the pain of it.
~ Linda, Oct. 19, 2013

I remember when I wrote that poem. It had been 10 months since Bruce died. For the rest of the world, their lives were back in order. (At least, that was my perception.) But, not for me. My life was still upside down. I was still experiencing all the ” dreaded firsts,” and I still had 2 more months to go before I would finish that “first year.”

I don’t know why, but there is a notion or a feeling that if you can get through (aka survive) that first year, it will all be okay… You will feel better… Life will start to feel normal again.

That, my friends, is a lie.

I remember starting that second year with so much hope that I would feel better – cry less and hurt less; laugh more and live “normally” again. But what I found was after that first year, I still grieved… I still cried, and I still hurt. Life was marching forward, but I still seemed to be out of step with the rest of the world. I tried to laugh more… I tried to live a “normal” life.

But… what was “normal?” How could I live a “normal” life when I still hurt so bad?

On January 23, 2014, (after the one-year anniversary of Bruce’s death) I wrote:

“Good morning, Babe… Sad today… miss you so much. I know I’m doing better ’cause I have more and more good days, but today I am sad… went to bed sad, cried most of the night and woke up sad… Something about walking into the bedroom and knowing that I was crawling into this bed without you… again, was too much. I just miss you! I try not to let myself dwell on it too much because it gets me too down, but other times, I need to let it out… It’s been forever since I felt the touch of your love, Babe.”

A few days later, on February 4, I wrote:

“Hi Babe! Loving you this morning… I cried myself to sleep (again) last night. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever not cry myself to sleep… or miss you so bad my heart feels like it will rip in half. Still kinda teary this morning. The thing is – now (because it has been more than a year) I feel like I have to hide it… It is so frustrating!”

And three years after he died, I found myself still struggling and wrote:

“Hi, Babe! I am really missing you tonight! How can this be real? Here I am – 3 years later – and still half expecting you to walk through the door – or – to wake up and find this has been one horrible nightmare. I sit here at my desk looking at pictures of us and I remember all the smiles and all the love. I’ll never understand why it had to end or how to make the hurting stop. I think… No, I know, what we had was so special and I’ll never stop loving you! It took us so long to find each other that we never took ‘us’ for granted. I have no regrets for how we spent our time together. But I never thought our time together would be so short. It went by so fast.”

Even now, as the six-year anniversary of Bruce’s death is on the horizon, I find that I still miss him… and it still hurts… I’ve just gotten better at shoving it down deep when I am with others… Only feeling free to feel what I feel when I am alone (and writing).

In fact, I’ve written about it several times over the past few weeks. I still miss Bruce so much and going through this current challenge without him has been beyond hard. When I am scared or frustrated, I think about how wonderful it would be to feel his arms around me and to hear him whisper in my ear, “It’s going to all be okay.” To feel that I was a priority to someone who loved me unconditionally… To feel that I could cry when I needed to without worrying about being “strong” or being a bother… To be totally and completely honest about my fears…

But, Bruce is gone… Time has moved on. Life has brought (and will continue to bring) more challenges… And I must learn to take each one in stride without Bruce by my side.

Why am I sharing this? What is the point?

My point is this – the pain never really goes away. It is as if you broke a leg but never had it set correctly… it just healed as it was. You learn to live with it… You learn to laugh and walk and maybe even run, but it is never the same.

Over the last few years, I have learned to crawl, then walk… and even run. I have learned to laugh again. I have learned to dance again. I have learned to live life again. I have learned to trust that God (or the universe or whatever you want to call it) has not abandoned me, is not against me nor am I being punished… In fact, I truly believe, God loves me and has my back.

I know I was blessed… I know I still am. The fact that we had a life together at all was a miracle. But the sad reality is Bruce’s purpose on this earth was completed before mine. (Oh, how I hate it that!) But I have come to understand that my life now is determined by my perspective… And my perspective is my choice…

I know there are still lessons for me to learn (like this current path) and a purpose for me to explore. (Otherwise, I wouldn’t still be here.) But, I also know I don’t have to let go of my love for Bruce in order to do any of those things.

In other words, time does move on… Life moves on… but my heart… well, my heart doesn’t have to…

If you have experienced loss, you have probably learned lessons, too. This is our community, please share your story with us. Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences by going to the comments and leaving a note.*

Maybe you learned something different… There is no one right answer. Who knows… you may hold the answer for someone else.

This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief

Peace, Love and Grief… Why

I thought we had forever…
I never knew we were
Counting down from the day we met.
~ Linda, Sept 2013

This has been one of those weeks where I am feeling a little raw. All week, I have been constantly coming back to the original question… Why?

I don’t get it… I am trying to go with the flow… Accept what life throws my way… I smile, I laugh, I cry. I do all the normal things that make up life. But, I still find myself wondering, “why?”

No one around me has lost a spouse. He was so young. Our time together was so short… And we were SO happy… So, why?

I don’t get it. Is my destiny to be alone? Were we never supposed to be? I don’t understand. Our love was so strong, why take it away? I had 23 years with the worst – why only 8 with the best? I don’t understand.

It’s not like I haven’t already dealt with enough hurt. Did this really have to be? We were so happy… so at peace with each other and life as it was.

I see so many others around me who get to enjoy that… why not us?

We met so late in life, but we always thought we had time… more time… Who decided that was all we got?

Life in its cruelty
Gives us the gift of love
But along with it
Comes an hourglass
Counting down the moments
Until it is gone.
~ Linda, Sept 2013

Sometimes it still pisses me off! It still makes me angry… It still hurts…
Why can’t I let go?

That one I can answer… Because I still love him. Because he was everything to me… and I don’t want to let go.

Shoot! I’m so scared of forgetting… forgetting the moments we shared, forgetting his face when he smiled, forgetting the tenderness in his eyes, the touch of his hands, his kiss… What if I forget? … That terrifies me.

Those are the happiest times of my life. Those moments have carried me through so much hell.

I read an article this week about life after cancer. The author talked about how she was still on medication and will be for years. She talked about the frustration with the ongoing side effects which can last for years after the treatments are long over. She talked about the fact that, yes, she is grateful to be alive, but she still grieves for the life she had and will never get back. When people ask how she is, she struggles between being honest versus smiling and saying what they want to hear – that she is fine… grateful to be alive.

I get it… I think anyone who has experienced a major loss, understands all of that. Grief is grief… And being forced into a life you didn’t plan or imagine can be hard.

Most weeks, I can smile and say, “I’m fabulous!” Most weeks, I can appreciate where I have been, where I am, and where I am going.

Last week, I said I was willing to wait. And I am… And I will… But weeks like this, I still don’t understand why… and I still cry for what is gone.

How do I find joy in this,
When you were my joy?
I am sinking on my own.
I know I need to find some
Peace in this;
But all I want to find is you.
How do I reconcile
What I know
With what I feel?
I can’t…
Instead, I smile,
Like a good girl,
Finding neither joy
Nor peace…
Nor you.
~ Linda, October 2013

What about you? Have you or do you still ask – why? Do those original feelings of pain still haunt you at times? I don’t believe I’m alone and you aren’t either… None of us are! Are you willing to share how you handle those days? Or do you still need support in that area? Would you be willing to share your story or your thoughts?

Please do… This is our community. To share your thoughts and experiences go to the comments and leave your message.*

This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief

Peace, Love and Grief… Waiting

“When God sends you the man you are called to be with… you will know. This man will speak to not your flesh, but your spirit. You will experience something with him that you have never experienced before. He will love you in ways that other men didn’t. Wait. It will be so worth it when you meet him.” ~ #NeverSettle @knowyourworthrubies

This week I am preparing for the last leg of this cancer journey – the radiation. I am so ready to be finished… to feel healthy again… to live life again. Yet all week my mind hasn’t been on what is ahead. For whatever reason, my mind is on Bruce.

It seems as if he is always there… right in front of my mind’s eye. While there have been days when I felt I was in this cancer thing alone, there have been more days when I would swear I feel Bruce by my side. And this week has found me remembering every precious moment we shared. But our love goes back further than that, because before there was a Bruce, there was the belief that he was out there.

After my divorce was final, I was pretty sure I was through with men… at least when it came to serious relationships. I dated, but I wasn’t really interested in anything more. After 23 years of abuse and dysfunction, I was not going to risk putting myself back in that situation again.

I can remember my mother telling me, I was wrong. She told me she believed I not only deserved love, but she believed without a doubt that God would send someone to love me. I laughed… She would have to believe enough for both of us, because I wasn’t the least bit interested.

Fast forward a few months to a cruise on a small sailing schooner in the Virgin Islands… and Bruce. It was a whirlwind week… I remember the two of us smiling and laughing constantly. Just a couple of months later, I flew to Michigan. That was when Bruce and I realized what we had was different… It was real… And it was forever.

I can remember Bruce telling me that he had always believed I was out there somewhere, and he had never given up on finding me… Nothing like being made to feel you are the answer to someone’s prayers and dreams.

The next few years passed so fast. I love the memories… the relationships he built with my kids, the healing and love he brought to our family, and the smiles… so many smiles. Even now, I still see those smiles. I can picture his face and that beautiful, beautiful smile whenever our eyes met.

I remember our first kiss… And I remember our last. I remember how it felt to hold his hand… so much bigger than my own that most of the time we couldn’t even interlace our fingers. I remember the surprising gentleness of his touch, always calling him “my gentle giant.” Memories of dancing in the kitchen, sailing on our boat, holding hands on the beach, kayaking in the canal, and so many more… Each moment captured as a precious snapshot in time… Each one bringing both smiles… and tears… Each one triggering a special place in my heart.

Which brings me to the present…

It has been almost six years since Bruce died, and I still miss him… I won’t say I “live” in those memories. No – I live my life… I work, I play, I have my adventures and my ups and downs, just like anyone else. But, I still feel Bruce next to me… Our souls will always be connected… And I live, knowing that one day we will be together again…

“I live for the day when I will see you again, in all God’s glory. We will be together again. We will have healthy, whole bodies and can explore the wonders of heaven together.” ~ Holiday Candle Lighting Ceremony

Thank you, Babe, for showing me love… a love that will endure forever – beyond this life and into the next.

“At night, before I fall asleep, I can see your face, and I can (almost) feel you hold me… I know it’s not real – or is it? Is it possible to miss someone so much, you can still feel them when they’re gone? Sometimes, I can see your smile… and your eyes filled with mischief… or the way you looked at me so tenderly – filled with love… I miss that… I miss you!” ~ Linda, 2018

What about you? Have you or do you hold onto those precious moments in time? Are those memories ever the thing that gets you through that moment? You’re not alone… None of us are! Are you will to share how you came to terms with it? Or do you still need support in that area? Would you be willing to share your story or your thoughts?

Please do… This is our community. To share your thoughts and experiences go to the comments and leave your message.*

NOTE: I apologize for posting a day late, and I thank you for your patience. Sometimes on this cancer journey, life doesn’t flow on my schedule. : )

This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief

Peace, Love and Grief… One Step at a Time

Alone… Is this a test?
I think I am failing.
I want to move past the sadness.
I want to find the blessings.
But every time I come back to
Being alone…

~ Linda, October 2013

I have put off writing this week until the last minute (or what feels like the last minute). It’s not that I don’t know what to say… It’s that I have so much to say and I’m not sure how to say it in a way that makes sense.

There is a part of me that seems to always dread this time of year, because this month starts a series of major days and holidays… all in a row – one on top of the next. It starts with Halloween, then moves to our anniversary, Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas, the anniversary of our meeting, New Years and the anniversary of Bruce’s death.

Anyone who has grieved deeply knows how hard the holidays and big events can be when you find yourself alone. There is an unrelenting sadness when you realize you are no longer able to share those days with the person you have shared your life with for so long. For me, the next few months will be an emotional roller coaster as I go from one event to the next… all without Bruce… for the sixth time. (Yes, I am still counting, and yes, it still makes me sad.)

The first year I ignored as many of these holidays as possible. It hurt too much to imagine celebrating anything without Bruce. So, I hid and let the world do its thing while I pretended not to notice. I closed my door, turned off the radio or left town… Whatever it took to keep those reminders away.

You might be surprised to know, but it was actually pretty easy to do. The world starts getting very busy this time of year… Most people don’t really notice when you choose to disappear from the craziness. I’m not sure if that is a good or a bad thing, but it was what I needed to do that first year.

The next year, I decided I wanted to try to join the world… at least with my kids and my grandson. So, I joined them for as many of these days as possible and spent the rest with friends. The problem for me, however, was the timing of everything… As soon as I got past one event, I had to mentally prepare for the next… There just didn’t seem to be a chance to heal or even breathe in between.

While it was a relief to be a part of everything and not be alone, when all was said and done, I was emotionally drained. Months later, I listened to a recording taken at the end of that time period, and I didn’t even sound coherent. But while I may have been a mess, I had done it! I had survived!

Thankfully, time is a kind friend, and each year has brought more healing and a stronger me. That doesn’t mean, the emotions aren’t there… I am still sad… I still miss my Bruce… And this week, I found myself crying several times as I contemplated what is ahead.

This year as Halloween approaches and the holiday commercials start to air on TV, I am faced once again with an overwhelming relay of events. All week I have had that inner dialogue going… I’m sure you know what I mean…

In my self-development seminars or when coaching individuals, I discuss that inner dialogue… That angel and devil thing we laugh at in cartoons. Why do we laugh? Because we have all experienced it at one time or another. For most of us, though, it isn’t necessarily a temptation thing – a good or evil thing.

Usually it presents itself as one “voice” that sounds more like, “Why bother?” “What’s the point?” “You’ll never be able to do that.” In other words, it is a self-defeating voice. It is based on our fears, negative emotions, and low energy. It is not based in reality. It does not build resilience and does not move us forward. In fact, it is happiest if we stay where we are or even take a few steps back.

Then, there is the other, kinder “voice.” It is encouraging. It is not based on our fears but on our passions, goals and what is real. It is healthy and nurturing. Its purpose is to build resilience and help us move forward… To live life – even if it is just one small step at a time.

This week the dialogue battling within me has been one of dreading the upcoming months, while realizing that all I really need to do is face this the same way I have faced cancer this year… one step at a time – no more. I have learned that when I try looking too far down the road, I become intimidated. Then, my fear of what is ahead leads me to question my ability to make it through. Reminding myself to slow down, and just focus on the step ahead has been my saving grace this year.

I remember right after Bruce died… The idea of spending the rest of my life without him – alone – seemed very intimidating. Most days I didn’t even want to try… that road ahead looked never ending. It took me a while to tune out that self-defeating voice and start listening to that kinder, gentler voice that encouraged me to take one small step and then another.

In my family, the women seem live quite a long time, so I figure I have another 50+/- years to go… without him. That is a long time. It can be quite daunting if I let myself dwell on it too long. But, I am learning not to look that far down the road. I am learning to just breathe and take it one day and one step at a time.

I am learning…

That is what I have been telling myself this week. I am still learning. It’s okay if I have a few hard moments or stumble a little. The trick is not to let myself dwell on the upcoming months and everything they entail… that would be too much to handle without the possibility of spiraling down. down.

Each year, I heal a little more… and learn a little more about taking this journey one small step at a time… And for me, that will be the only way to get through the journey ahead.

Walk through your fears…
~ Linda, October 2013

What about you? Did you or have you struggled with the loneliness of spending the holidays without you loved one? Have you felt abandoned or left behind as the world celebrates in a whirlwind around you? You’re not alone… None of us are! Are you will to share how you came to terms with it? Or do you still need support in that area? Would you be willing to share your story or your thoughts?

Please do… This is our community. To share your thoughts and experiences go to the comments and leave your message.*

This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief

Peace, Love and Grief… Be the change

“Be the living expression of God’s kindness;
kindness in your face,
kindness in your eyes,
kindness in your smile.”
~ St. (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta

I remember when this whole journey began. (It’s almost been 6 years now… but who’s counting?) At first, I was so raw… so numb… so lost. For the first few weeks, I felt like I was in a dream. This couldn’t be real… Surely, I was going to wake up at some point and everything would be as it was. (The only thing I knew would be different was – I would be even more appreciative of the gift that was my husband… If that was even possible.)

But, that didn’t happen… Life just kept moving forward… without my Bruce.

As the months passed, more and more people fell off the radar for one reason or another. Most things I read told me this was normal… to expect it to start at about the three to four month range. According to what I read, many couples would back away, because I was no longer “a couple.” (Although, most widows will tell you, we still feel like “a couple.”) Other sources listed many other reasons, such as:

1. People probably felt I was doing really well and didn’t need their support any longer.
2. Some people didn’t know how to offer more support, since they had never experienced this themselves.
3. Some people get tired or uncomfortable with the whole death/grief thing.
4. Who knows why people do what they do!… Maybe they are going through their own struggles.

To be fair, I believe most of the people I knew simply didn’t understand it, because they hadn’t been through it. In hind sight, I don’t believe they meant to be cruel or hurtful. While I may have felt stuck, their lives had continued to move on at full speed. However, at the time, I could not understand this.

So as more months passed, and I watched more and more people walk out of my life… I began to get hurt… I felt lonely… and abandoned… and definitely angry. I had already lost my husband. Was everyone else going to abandon me, too?

Here is the problem with that line of thinking…

The more I focused on the hurt and negative feelings, the more negative things I found to upset me. It didn’t take long for me to spiral down and become the very thing I never wanted to be – an angry, bitter, cynical old woman. Life began to look bleak… It no longer held any hope.

This only increased my focus on the negative. Before I realized what was happening, my connections with other people almost stopped completely. I found myself only opening up to a very small handful of friends and family (who chose to love me despite my negative outlook).

This was where I found myself about 10 months after Bruce died, and I was at my lowest I had ever been… I had given up on people and life… I had stopped caring… Life had taken on the form of waking up, going through the motions and sleeping. Then, waking up only to do all over again the next day.

I’m not sure why, but at this point, I pulled out one of Bruce’s favorite CD series – Wayne Dyer’s The Secrets of the Power of Intention. I did not know it at the time, but this would become my first step out of this downward spiral that had taken over my life. There was a lot of great information in this series, but the piece of information I needed to hear most was…

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

WOW! What a simple statement, and yet, how true! As soon as I heard it, I knew he was speaking to me. I had become completely focused on all I had lost and was losing… on all the hurt and feelings of abandonment. Because of that, I had stopped noticing the good things all around me… the little blessings available in each moment.

So, this is where things started to change. As I “changed the way I looked at things,” the way I viewed those things (as well as my life) began to change, as well.

The next step was inevitable, I began to realize that if more people would learn to do this, maybe our world would not be filled with so many hurt, offended, negative souls. But how could I take this knowledge and make a difference? I knew I could only change myself. So, how could I make another change within myself, that might make a bigger difference in the world around me?

Well… ask God a question, and he will always give you an answer. And a few days later, there it was… I was reading some writings from Ghandi, when one seemed to call out to me as the answer to my quandary…

“Be the change you want to see.”

WOW! (Again!) How is it the simplest statements have the most profound advice? And so it began, another change, another step. Now instead of wishing someone else would think more kindly, behave kinder, or speak with more kindness, I learned to observe, say nothing (the hardest part for me), and alter my own actions to reflect what I wanted to see instead.

These two changes in my thought patterns and behavior began to build on each other. The more I altered how I looked at things, the easier it became to actually be the change I wanted to see. And the more I worked on “being the change,” the easier it became to see others in a more positive light.

Through the years, I have worked my way out of that deep, downward spiral. There are days when it is still a process for me. However, while I have my moments when I am not as successful at protecting my attitude, I am continually doing better and better… On those occasions when I find myself spiraling down, I am able to catch it and turn it around. I know that when I remember to “be the change I want to see,” my whole viewpoint on life and people becomes more positive as well…

When I remember that the divine energy within me can become a divine reality for someone else by simply being the love and acceptance I am seeking from the world around me, then I know my life has purpose again because I am able to make a difference.

Polish your heart
so that it reflects
God’s love
to the world around you
~ Linda, February 2016

What about you? Did you or have you struggled with frustration with the world around you? Have you felt abandoned or left behind as the world moves on? You’re not alone… None of us are! Are you will to share how you came to terms with it? Or do you still need support in that area? Would you be willing to share your story or your thoughts?

Please do… This is our community. To share your thoughts and experiences go to the comments and leave your message.*

This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief

Peace, Love and Grief… Finding Peace After the Anger

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” ~ Psalm 147:3

The other day as I dropped off my grandson for school, I started thinking about my own rides to school as a child…

Back then, we lived way out in the country with a one-hour bus ride to school (and that was if the bridges weren’t open for the boat traffic). While I prefer to think about those “happy laughter” or “sweet sentimental” memories, one of my most distinct memories of those endless bus rides was actually one of anger… or to be more blunt – pure rage.

I was about six years old, and it was on the bus ride home. I had saved the seat next to me for my sister. (After all, I was a first grader who idolized her big sister. Where else would she want to sit except by me? Right?) Now, keep a few things in mind, I was a bit timid as a child… I was that kid who hid behind my mother’s skirts when she tried to introduce me to new people. And at my first piano recital, I refused to play until my sister came and sat on the bench next to me, blocking the audience from my sight.

That day, as I waited with my hand on the seat next to me to save it, a high school girl I didn’t know (and was sure I wouldn’t like), moved my hand and sat down anyway. I remember feeling instantly indignant. “I’m saving that seat for my sister,” I told her.

“Your sister’s already sitting in the back,” she said. “… With her friends,” she added as she looked the other way. I remember standing up and looking back. Sure enough. there was my sister laughing and talking with her friends. I was instantly so incredibly angry. I looked at the girl next to me who smiled, and got even angrier… And then, I did it… I bit her forearm… Actually, it was more than a bite… I latched on and refused to let go until she had to get off the bus about 30 minutes later!

That poor girl! If I were her, I would have labeled me a brat and hated me. I definitely would not want to ever sit next to me again.

But that is not what happened… Not even close. Instead, she not only sat with me day after day, I remember her going out of her way to be kind to me. I remember her saving me a seat when she got there first, and on other occasions, asking about my day or whatever I brought for show and tell. I remember her sitting with me and making those long bus rides fun… And through those long, endless rides, as she listened to me or made me giggle, I began to feel valued… and I learned to love her. Funny, I can’t remember her name now, but I will always remember the impact she had on me that year.

So why am I sharing this story here?

Because as I reminisced, I started thinking about the only other time I remember feeling abandoned, helpless, and filled with rage at something I couldn’t change… And that was when Bruce died. It was that same feeling I had when I looked at the back of the bus and realized my dreams for this journey weren’t going to happen.

While I denied it at the time, I was so absolutely angry with God. I begged, I cried, I cursed, I shook my fists, and eventually, I just decided to turn my back on him, since it felt like he had already turned his back on me.

I was done! … Or was I?

As time passed, and I started working on healing and on myself, I found that my faith was too much a part of me to ignore or abandon. But, I also realized that my faith wasn’t really my own… All those years it was really just a carbon copy of what I had been told… In other words, it wasn’t my faith or beliefs at all. It was like it belonged to someone else, and I had just picked it up and put it in my pocket.

I remember dreaming about Bruce one night when I was still so angry. In the dream, Bruce was telling me that God was real, but he wasn’t the God I thought he was… He told me God wasn’t a God of anger and judgement. Instead, he was a God of love and compassion. In my dream I was so doubtful, and that is how I woke up… But what I knew was I needed to figure out for myself what I believed… Then, maybe I could let go of the anger… And if I could let go of the anger, maybe – just maybe – I could start to heal.

I would love to say, it was an overnight transformation, but it wasn’t… not even close. It has taken years… Years of starting from a clean slate and figuring things out from scratch… Years of making my own discoveries and building my own faith… Years of learning to be comfortable when my idea of God and faith doesn’t match up with the mainstream “church.”

But through those years, I have learned a lot. My faith is my own… I don’t need to explain it or rationalize it to anyone… And the best part has been the peace I have acquired…

Like the high school girl, who chose to be patient with me and show me love and friendship and ultimately made me feel valued and loved, God never turned his back on me… Instead, he waited. He let me rant, and he loved me anyway… His shoulders were big enough to handle my rage and my doubts… And instead of punishing me (as I had been taught to believe), he waited patiently as I figured things out for myself.

I still miss Bruce. I still cry when I let myself think about him too much. BUT the anger and rage are no longer there… Instead, there is a peace that comes from within… A peace in knowing that he is still beside me… A peace in knowing that my faith is one built on what I know, and not what someone else has told me. And while I may not understand or like what has happened, I know God didn’t cause it, and he doesn’t like it either… And I am not alone… He hurts when I hurt… And I believe…

“There is a peace that comes with acceptance, and a love that is always remembered.” ~ Linda, September 2013

What about you? Did you experience that anger and rage after you lost your loved one? Do you still struggle with those emotions? Finding our way out of those emotions is going to be different for each of us. How do you deal with it? Would you be willing to share your story or your thoughts?

Please do… This is our community. To share your thoughts and experiences go to the comments and leave your message.*

This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief

Peace, Love and Grief… What’s Important

“It’s in the things we lose that we discover what we most treasure.”
~ Adriana Trigiani, The Shoemaker’s Wife

I’m not sure I have ever read a truer statement.

Before Bruce died, I knew I loved him, and I knew he love me… I knew the love we shared was unconditional, and I never doubted it was a “forever thing.”

But…

It wasn’t until he was gone that I realized what a treasure we had together. And it wasn’t until he was gone that I started looking at the world in a different light. In other words, what really started happening was this… I started dividing the world into what is important and what isn’t.

I always knew my family and friends were the important things in my life, but now I came to see them as my treasure… What I hold dear and will defend above all else. Don’t get me wrong… I haven’t given up my “earthly possessions” or taken a vow of poverty – I absolutely love this home which Bruce and I shared, and the things here that trigger so many precious memories… But it is the memories that make those things precious, not the things themselves.

Yet even those things don’t hold a candle to the people I love who are right beside me and in my heart. These people I love are what is important… They are my treasure… They are my priority in each moment.

But, that’s not the end of it…

I’ll admit that since Bruce died there are things which still upset me, but it’s different now. Now those things have more to do with how we, as a society, treat each other these days… The cruel things people say and do towards each other, while rationalizing their “right” to behave that way.

I don’t understand it… And, honestly, I don’t want to.

Maybe it is where I grew up, but I was raised to believe in “loving one another” and “treating others the way you want to be treated.” For me this means showing respect towards each person whether I agree with them or not… And it truly hurts my heart when I see any of us behaving otherwise.

We have all heard the idea that “life is too short, so if you love someone tell them.”

Well, I think we need to take that a step further… When Bruce died, I came face to face with exactly how short this life can be, and found myself looking at what is important in my life… And it isn’t just the people I know and love…

It is all of us… All of us with our crazy backgrounds and histories… All of us with our own particular baggage and experiences… All of us with our differing religious beliefs and political views… All of us with our different cultures, languages, and races… I mean – all of us.

When everything else is stripped away… When all is said and done… We are just people – each deserving of respect and love…

And that, my friends, is our treasure in this life… That is what is important…

So, I would challenge all of us today with this idea, “Life is too short. Focus on what is truly important – people… all people… And treat everyone with respect and love.”

“No tree has branches so foolish as to fight amongst themselves.” ~ Native American Proverb

What about you? After you lost your loved one, have you struggled with the way people tend to treat each other? How do you deal with it? Or do you need support in that area? Would you be willing to share your story or your thoughts?

Please do… This is our community. To share your thoughts and experiences go to the comments and leave your message.*

This is a weekly blog, for daily affirmations we have a Facebook page of the same name. Join us daily at www.facebook.com/peaceloveandgrief