grieve – Page 7 – Peace, Love & Grief

Peace, Love, and Grief… Who I Am

Before I start today, I just wanted to do a real quick follow-up to last week’s blog… Wednesday evening, while driving home, I looked up and directly to my left was the biggest, most vibrant rainbow with another fainter one right next to it. Since this week has been filled with both emotional “sunshine” and “rain” (with tears consistently watering my eyes), I couldn’t help but smile. This is life – the good and the bad, the positive and the negative… It takes all the things to make a full life, and I really needed that rainbow to remind me of just how beautiful the tapestry of my life really is. (Just wanted to share that little story.)

Today, though, I want to talk about us – you and me… those of us who were left behind when the person we love died…

If you have ever been in therapy, then you know that you will spend a lot of time looking at and evaluating oneself… That’s kind of the point, right? Well, this week, I was delving into the idea of “who am I?” and how that can (and does) change throughout our lifetime. I found myself contemplating the idea that there are a lot of factors that can (and often will) spur those changes.

One of these factors is trauma… After all, most life lessons are found in the hard things… And depending on how we manage those lessons and the aftermath, the changes that occur may be good, or they may make our life even harder… I hate to admit it, but how that goes is really up to us – up to each individual.

For example, there were things that happened in my childhood. I can’t really say it “trauma”, but that was how my childish brain experienced and processed it. However, our family didn’t talk about stuff like that. It just wasn’t considered polite to have those hard conversations, especially between a child and an adult. Instead, we avoided them. (Again, remember, I am speaking out of what I remember and processed as a child. This is not a judgement on how I was raised.) As a consequence, I didn’t learn this particular communication skill, and as an adult, I have always struggled with those hard conversations or any communication around difficult topics.

That has become a part of who I am currently, but not who I am destined to continue being… See what I mean? I can change that inner quality if I choose to work on it… (which I have been, in case you wondered).

In other words, who we are within any situation shapes how we experience it, and our experiences turn around and reshape who we are. Also, while those experiences will always be in our memories, we can still reshape those memories or learn to look at those experiences in a different way – a way that allows us to grow.

For me, I experienced the chaos of my first marriage from the perspective of fear and self-doubt. As the years passed, those were the emotions that grew… So, those became the emotions that other people saw in me… Those became my dominant inner characteristics. However, they weren’t written into my DNA… They weren’t really me… Deep down, I knew there was so much more to who I am.

Honestly, it took me hitting rock bottom…It took me realizing that I didn’t care if I went to hell for divorcing, because in my experience at that point in time, my kids and I were already living in hell. That is what it took for me to decide to get strong, face my fears… and (ultimately) leave.

So, let’s talk about inner quality changes… In the three years it took to get divorced, I got help. I worked with a therapist and started to regain and embrace the part of me that believed in myself. I wouldn’t have thought it was possible, but during those three years, the patterns and behaviors that had led us to that point got progressively worse. My ex played all kinds of games – stalling, stalking, threatening, pretty much anything to make the process just that much more difficult. Admittedly, there were days when I fell back on those old characteristics, but there were more days when I relied on my newfound inner strength and determination – despite the terror I felt with each step forward.

Then, when Bruce and I got together, he saw things in me that I didn’t even know were there. With his support and love, I continued to change and grow. Over time, I started to drop the fear and self-doubt and replace them with confidence and determination.

Then, the worst happened. Bruce died… literally in my arms… I can’t even begin to explain the trauma of trying to save the person you love from death… and failing.

Every bit of ground that I had gained over our years together disappeared when he took his last breath… I lost it… I lost all of it, (plus a little bit more). I am pretty sure I spent the first year or two in complete shock… It wasn’t long before all the self-doubt and fear returned, and I imploded… Unable to bear the thought of what life might throw my way next, I became a bit of a recluse, which only made things worse.

However, I did seek help again, and over time, I very slowly began to do the hard work to get better…

Then, this year happened. I’m not in a place to give any details. (It isn’t my story only, and I am still praying that things will get better.) However, the losses I have experienced this year have once again rocked me to my core.

The beginning of the year found me on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Thankfully, though, my therapist is good, and my God is even better! My self-loathing and self-doubt were through the roof. Yet, the few people with insight in this situation gathered around me, and despite everything else going on, I felt loved. I knew that this time, I wasn’t alone.

While it has taken many months, I have worked hard (with all of their support) and am doing okay. I have learned a lot about trauma – what it does to our brains, what it does to our psyche, what it does to us… It really does change us – even physically! Did you know that? I didn’t! Trauma actually creates changes in our brains and in our chemical make-up… Some of these are reversable, and others… well… we’ll see.

Here’s what I do know… Bruce believed in me, and the qualities he saw in me were there back then and are still in me now. I don’t need to remind myself that I am “good enough” … Instead, I need to remind myself that “I am good (period).” It’s okay if I cry and feel sad sometimes, as long as I turn around and remember that I really am loved… I do belong in this world…

I believe this journey of healing and recovery was made harder by Bruce’s death. It is a hard path to navigate alone. I would would give anything to have him here to help build me up on those days when I just can’t… And for me to do the same for him… I miss that… But… because he believed in me, I can too… Because he saw so many good qualities in me, I can too… Because he loved me… yep… I can too.

Bruce used to always say that what we do – our role in life – isn’t who we are. It is only a small part of what helps us become who we are… Such wise words… I have been focusing on those words a lot lately as I continue to evaluate who I am… My role through the years has changed many times – throughout both marriages, after my divorce, after Bruce died, and even now… Yet, that isn’t who I am… None of those roles are who I am… And I think Bruce would be proud of me because I am finally starting to believe that I am so much more than any of those… I am growing each day… And (surprisingly) I think I like who I am becoming…
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Grief changes us. This journey is not an easy path for anyone. Learning to function on this new path is hard, and it is easy to lose our way or forget that we don’t have to do it alone. I don’t think any of us chose to be here… I know I didn’t. Yet, this is where life has landed us for now… This is where we are. Our lives are now filled with challenges we never imagined and emotions that feel overwhelming at times. So often, I think I have it all figured out, only to find that isn’t true at all. Despite the years since Bruce passed, my life is still filled with challenges, as I am sure yours is too. This year, my goal is to simply ‘be’… Be me, be kind, be compassionate, be loving, be hopeful… to just ‘be’ and to be comfortable with that… however it looks.

Thankfully, I know I am not alone… None of us are… We have each other. It is our love for those we have lost that brings us together into this space where we can share our experiences. I believe the sharing of our stories is so important… I believe it is healing. Do you have a story to tell? I believe we can find courage and strength in one another’s stories. I believe we can offer each other empathy when we open our hearts to one another. I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel better knowing there are others out there who understand what I mean, and what I feel. It’s nice to know I’m not alone… Maybe this strikes a chord with you too. We would all love to hear your thoughts or your story. If you would like to share your experience or if you need a helping hand or maybe a virtual hug, let us know. We are here for you.

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Peace, Love, and Grief… Rainbows and Butterflies

Rainbows and Butterflies… I know, it sounds more like a blog for young girls than adults dealing with grief but stay with me. Both of these things hold an analogy for this path we are traveling down.

Let’s take the rainbow for example… Even at my age, I still get excited when I see a rainbow. I love the magic of the colors floating in the sky. I love that no two rainbows ever appear to look the same to me. Sometimes they are fat and wide, sometimes they are skinny or so faint you can barely see it. Sometimes, certain colors are more vivid than others, and other times there appears to be two rainbows running parallel to each other. No matter how my day is going, I can’t help but smile whenever one appears in the sky overhead.

So, what does that have to do with us? Well… this is where the mystique of a rainbow comes into play.

You see, a rainbow requires three things – sun and rain… and the perfect position to see it. If there is only sun, there is no rainbow. If there is only rain, there is no rainbow… And if I am not in the perfect position to see the light being reflected in the raindrops, I will miss it completely. My position will also affect the rainbow’s appearance, which is why they can look so different every single time.

Scientifically, we know that if you take away any of those items, there is no rainbow… There is only sunshine or only rain… Our lives are like that – Sometimes sunshine… sometimes rain… And if you ask me, grief makes it appear to be raining a lot… (Maybe “storming” would be a more accurate term.) In other words, we have bright days, and we have dark days… and our “position” on any given day will determine what we “see”… It completely depends on where we are on the path.

Honestly, in the beginning, all I could see was the rain. My sadness and grief were all encompassing. However, life is odd, and no matter what else is going on in our world there is always some sunshine… somewhere. It just depends on our emotional position whether or not we can see it. Like our lives, it may take some time and distance, some perspective, if you will, to appreciate the blended reflections (the colors) that make our lives a thing of beauty.

The butterfly, on the other hand, is also like the journey we are on. As we know, butterflies start off as caterpillars. At this point, they eat and eat and eat… and grow and grow and grow. Then one day, nature takes over and the caterpillar forms a chrysalis. While inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar undergoes a complete transformation as it turns into a liquid, soupy substance before finally exiting as a butterfly. I say that I can’t imagine what that transformation is like, but then again, maybe I can.

Like the caterpillar, I was just going through life doing what I do – minding my business and enjoying the world around me – loving Bruce and getting “fat on life”. Suddenly, though, I found myself caught up in this terrible experience of loss and grief. Like the caterpillar in the chrysalis, my world was reduced to a mass of muckiness. I struggled and I cried. I fought it every inch of the way from the shock of it all to finding some semblance of acceptance. Over time, I began to realize that I was no longer me, and something deep inside left me knowing that I had changed and would never be the same again.

Now, I wouldn’t say that I am a beautiful butterfly. (LOL!) At the same time, though, I know that this whole process has created someone stronger and more independent; someone with a strong understanding of just how precious life is… That every moment is a gift, and what I choose to do with it is completely up to me.

I won’t say I always get this right… I have always been honest here in this space. I have shared my hard days with y’all, as well as my triumphant ones – the good and the bad… the sun and the rain… my chrysalis of grief, if you will. I know my outlook each day depends on where I am emotionally – where life has led me and who has been on the path with me. Any of this can leave me feeling like I am either back in the chrysalis or like a butterfly finally emerging from that awful muck.

It all depends on where I am in life. Yet as time passes, I find that more and more I am able to see the rainbow with its promises of hope, love, and new beginnings, or a heart-warming mix of all these things… In other words, I am learning that a life well-lived is made up of all these things…

“I give thanks for each one (bright days and darks days) … I appreciate the blended reflections that make up the beauty of living.” ~ The Daily Word, June 17, 2023.
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Grief changes us. This journey is not an easy path for anyone. Learning to function on this new path is hard, and it is easy to lose our way or forget that we don’t have to do it alone. I don’t think any of us chose to be here… I know I didn’t. Yet, this is where life has landed us for now… This is where we are. Our lives are now filled with challenges we never imagined and emotions that feel overwhelming at times. So often, I think I have it all figured out, only to find that isn’t true at all. Despite the years since Bruce passed, my life is still filled with challenges, as I am sure yours is too. This year, my goal is to simply ‘be’… Be me, be kind, be compassionate, be loving, be hopeful… to just ‘be’ and to be comfortable with that… however it looks.

Peace, Love, and Grief… My Happy Place

I truly believe I am blessed… very blessed, actually. I know… That’s not something I tend to say (or write) here often enough. Yet, it is something I firmly believe to the depths of my soul… Why?

Well, there are a thousand reasons… Having had Bruce as a part of my life would be a big one… As well as, my kids, my sister, my family, Bruce’s family, my friends… (And that list could go on and on.) So many people to love and to be loved… Such blessings!

Today, though, my thoughts are centered on how I have always managed to have a “happy place” … Do you know what I mean? I am talking about that sacred space where once you enter your body seems to instantly feel a little more at peace. Whether you are there because life has gone awry and you are seeking peace, or maybe you are at one with the world and just want to fill your soul with a little more peace, it doesn’t really matter… You know this is the space to find that.

For me, that space has always been somewhere outdoors. (Funny, I know, for a girl who hates camping… I guess when it comes to creature comforts, I put a lot of stock in a real bed and a warm shower.) Still, though, I love being outdoors. (In fact, when going out to eat, if outdoor dining is an option, that will be my choice 99% of the time.)

As a child, my happy place was the woods. We lived out in the country, so exploring and meandering through the woods was how I passed my time… Quickly, it became my haven from the world. Even when I was eight and we moved closer to the city, there were still woods close by which became my safe harbor from the rest of the world. I can remember spending many hours in those woods, sitting on the rocks by the creek, sharing my thoughts out loud and “watching” them drift downstream – to be taken away by the same current tickling my toes.

During my teen years, my happy place expanded to our sailboat and being on the lake. Granted, the access was more limited… There were factors to consider, such as the weather, plus towing and launching the boat… And any of those could make or break a plan to get away. However, once I was out there, there was something about the combination of the serene quiet, the breeze, and the vast expanse of water and sky that always calmed my soul.

By college, my happy place had transformed just a bit to be anyplace by the water. Yet, the beach was (and still is) my absolute favorite… especially one little quiet beach just south of Charleston, SC. I have spent many wonderfully, solitary hours on this beach – letting her magic calm my soul and soothe my hurts.

(Almost) every year during my first marriage, this beach became the much-needed balm for my soul. Even years later, when I went through my divorce, (which was an insane three-year process), this was the place where I would come and walk for hours. This was the place where I found peace in a world that was imploding and the energy to go back and continue on.

The next year, Bruce and I met on a boat and bonded over a love for the water. The beach was both our happy place. We spent hours on or near the water creating precious memories and restoring our souls in preparation for the week ahead. Some of our favorite places were sitting by the river near our home, on our sailboat at Lake Michigan, and at the beach near our home here in Florida.

When Bruce died, we were living in this same little coastal town. So thankfully, I was still able to spend hours with my feet in the sand, watching the waves where his ashes were scattered, and trying to reclaim my life, (which felt impossible in the beginning) … This is something I still treasure being able to do.

This past week, though, I was back at that favorite, quiet beach in SC with my sister. We spent hours just sitting on the beach, the dock, and the porch – talking, laughing, sharing, reading, resting – all the things… But mostly, absorbing the magic of the ocean and the marsh as they have worked to heal my soul this week. This has been a tough year with plenty of heartache and growth, so I am extremely thankful for this space… in this time… and the calm that fills my entire being whenever I am there.
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Grief changes us. This journey is not an easy path for anyone. Learning to function on this new path is hard, and it is easy to lose our way or forget that we don’t have to do it alone. I don’t think any of us chose to be here… I know I didn’t. Yet, this is where life has landed us for now… This is where we are. Our lives are now filled with challenges we never imagined and emotions that feel overwhelming at times. So often, I think I have it all figured out, only to find that isn’t true at all. Despite the years since Bruce passed, my life is still filled with challenges, as I am sure yours is too. This year, my goal is to simply ‘be’… Be me, be kind, be compassionate, be loving, be hopeful… to just ‘be’ and to be comfortable with that… however it looks.

Peace, Love, and Grief… Being Who I Am Meant to Be

Know what I miss? … I miss Bruce! (Big surprise, I’m sure.) I miss this man… This wonderful man who encouraged me to have a voice… Who encouraged me to be the person I was meant to be.

This week, I watched a docuseries on TV about a recent, popular, fundamentalist movement. This movement, as it turns out, has been quite entrenched in the religion of my childhood for a very long time. While my experience was not as extreme as the experiences of the people in the series, I still realized (quite quickly) just how much that experience has affected my entire life – from the message of “male authority” to the message of “never good enough” (and all the messages in between).

I have spent years running from all of that…

But Bruce… Dear, sweet Bruce was my hero! (My “Jesus with the skin on” as my mother liked to say.) He always thought I was enough. He, also, never believed in “male authority”. He simply wanted to love me… and for me to love him… and for both of us to be happy living as the people we were meant to be.

“Someone’s inability to see our value does not detract from our worth.” ~ Sheri McGegor, M.A., Done With the Crying

What a concept! It was something I had never experienced before Bruce. And the best part… It was completely unconditional, and it was real! Every time I think about it, my heart nearly bursts. This is how life and love are supposed to be. Yet so many of us never get here.

The problem was when Bruce died, I was lost… I didn’t know how to find any of that for myself… or by myself. That struggle has been such a huge part of my journey these past ten years.

So, while watching this series this week, for the first time ever, I realized why I have struggle so… These messages have been instilled in me since early childhood… They are deep in my bones… And I cried… a lot.

I cried for what was. I cried for what wasn’t. I cried for how this affected me as a parent. I cried for how this affected me as a wife. I cried for how this affected me as a woman. I cried out of sadness. I cried out of grief. I cried out of anger… I cried until there were no more emotions and no more tears.

Then… I remembered this hero… This man who loved me simply as me. This man who encouraged me to simply be me – the good, the bad, whatever… He loved all of me.

So tonight, as I am crying (with realization) and writing (to get all this out), I am also finding solace in the most amazing love I ever knew.

It brings to mind a conversation I had with Bruce’s Mom a couple of weeks ago… She was telling me (for the millionth time) that they, (Bruce’s family), will still love me if I were to meet someone else. They just want me to be happy. To which I replied, “Mom, I’ve had the worst of the worst, and the best of the best. (Bruce, obviously, was the best.) And I’m not willing to (or don’t want to) settle for anything in the middle.” She just smiled, patted my hand, and gave me a hug… (And I am sure, down the road, she will tell me again… because their love, too, is unconditional.)

I know – never say never, but I meant it… Bruce was amazing. He was my hero… and my kids’ hero… My love for him will last forever… And his love for me will get me there.
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Grief changes us. This journey is not an easy path for anyone. Learning to function on this new path is hard, and it is easy to lose our way or forget that we don’t have to do it alone. I don’t think any of us chose to be here… I know I didn’t. Yet, this is where life has landed us for now… This is where we are. Our lives are now filled with challenges we never imagined and emotions that feel overwhelming at times. So often, I think I have it all figured out, only to find that isn’t true at all. Despite the years since Bruce passed, my life is still filled with challenges, as I am sure yours is too. This year, my goal is to simply ‘be’… Be me, be kind, be compassionate, be loving, be hopeful… to just ‘be’ and to be comfortable with that… however it looks.

Peace, Love, and Grief… Claiming My Place in the World

“I grow in courage when I step boldly into the world and take my place in it.” ~ Daily Word, June 14, 2023

Let’s just dive right in with some honesty, because I am pretty sure I am not the only one to feel this way… When Bruce died, all I wanted to do was to crawl into a hole and die too. Obviously, that didn’t really happen. Yet, in another sense, it kind of did. What?? … I know… that probably makes no sense.

What I mean is that when he died, I suddenly started isolating myself. I wasn’t even aware of it, but it is what I did…

At work, I would come in and immediately close my office door. I just couldn’t face people… And on days when I felt especially low, I would even turn off the lights in my office and pray that no one would notice me behind the computer monitors, since I am so short. As crazy as it sounds, that usually worked.

As I have written before, I had just walked away from the church I had been attending just a few short months prior. At the time, my kids all lived several hours away. And as a runner, I have always worked out at home. So, other than work, there was no other socializing.

Granted, I still had several close friends who checked in with me consistently and would urge me to join them for dinner, drinks, or just some time on the beach. But as time passed, I even found myself backing out of those commitments more and more. Overall, my world was shrinking – fast!… And I was completely content with that.

In other words, I was creating my own deep, dark hole, and my soul, my love for life, was either dead or dying…

Several years later, one of my daughters and my grandson moved in with me. I was thrilled to have the company, and the distraction from my own grief (and self-pity) was a much-needed miracle. This particular daughter is great at planning wonderful adventures. So, it wasn’t long before I found myself galivanting all over Florida and having fun…FUN?? Now that was something I never expected to do or feel again.

Also, having a child in the house forced me to stop thinking of myself and my grief 24/7. Sure, I still had my moments and my tears. (I’m only human.) However, my focus was on him, not me… And that was something I really needed. It was something I had not been able to do on my own, but at this new juncture, I had no choice.

Over the years while they lived with me, I did get out more and more. I did learn to focus on others versus myself… And I did reclaim some emotional regulation – learning to control my grief. Yes, I was still grieving, but rather than focusing all of my energy there day in and day out, I learned some balance. I learned to set some “grief boundaries” with myself by setting specific times and places where I allowed myself to let go and feel what I feel – such as when I sit down and write this blog each week. That became (and still is) my time to grieve… And the rest of the week? Well, the rest of the week, I pushed myself to stay busy focusing on the other people in my life.

Soon after, my son, as well as my youngest daughter (with her husband) moved down here too. Now, I had even more people to focus on… My grief was no longer the centerpiece of my life. All of this, I consider the miracle and blessing that saved me from myself.

What I didn’t realize at the time, though, was that I was really just following along blindly. I wasn’t really claiming my place in this world. I was still emotionally spent – too tired to really have my own plans and dreams. So, while I was climbing out of that metaphoric hole, I was doing it on everyone else’s terms – not mine. I was placing the responsibility of my outlook on the people around me. No one complained, and I didn’t realize what was happening… I thought I was healing… And I was. However, I couldn’t see that this was only a small step; I still had a long way to go.

Then, a couple of years ago, the daughter who was living with me got remarried. Of course, this also meant that she and my grandson moved out. Here was my “test”. Once again, I was alone… Was I going to fall back into old habits?

Well, my kids are great! All of them! Soon, I found myself included in something every weekend. I was just as busy as before. However, I still wasn’t being responsible for me… I was still simply following along. (I can’t imagine the drain they must have felt as they waited for me to be responsible for me.)

That is until this year…

I started the year with the intention to just “be” – be kind, be honest, be happy, be genuine… be me! I didn’t realize at the time just how life changing this would be.

You see, part of all this “be-ing” meant I needed to stop isolating myself. It has taken months, but I am learning to get out of my comfort zone and rejoin the world as me. In other words, I am finally learning to reclaim my place in this world – not as a nobody following along, but as a somebody forging her own path.

It hasn’t been easy. In fact, I would say this year has actually been one of the hardest since the first year after Bruce died. I am learning to not only face my fears on this journey, but to figure out what triggers them… and why. I have pushed myself to look honestly at myself – my habits and behaviors – to determine what works, what doesn’t, how I got here, and why I chose a particular path to begin with.

There have been some wonderful breakthroughs and just as many dark, ugly truth moments. Yet, each of these has pushed me one step further down this path. I know without a doubt there will be more and more of this in my future… I also know it is good for me (and necessary) in order to fully claim my space in this world and in my life.
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Grief changes us. This journey is not an easy path for anyone. Learning to function on this new path is hard, and it is easy to lose our way or forget that we don’t have to do it alone. I don’t think any of us chose to be here… I know I didn’t. Yet, this is where life has landed us for now… This is where we are. Our lives are now filled with challenges we never imagined and emotions that feel overwhelming at times. So often, I think I have it all figured out, only to find that isn’t true at all. Despite the years since Bruce passed, my life is still filled with challenges, as I am sure yours is too. This year, my goal is to simply ‘be’… Be me, be kind, be compassionate, be loving, be hopeful… to just ‘be’ and to be comfortable with that… however it looks.

Peace, Love, and Grief… And All is Well

“Wherever I go, God is there, and all… is… well.” ~ Unknown

Well… Life is what life is, and I am a day late here… And while it is not what I had planned to write about, that has actually become my story today…

I spent the past week up in Michigan visiting with Bruce’s family and celebrating his mother’s 90th birthday. What a wonderful week. I love this family! Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the fact that even now, ten years after Bruce’s death, his family is still such an integral part of my life… They are still my family… They still call me “sister” and “daughter”… And mostly, they still love me. What a blessing in my life!

Over the last ten years, while I have had my fair share of stumbles, I have tried to continue living my life in a way that would make Bruce proud… in a way, that would reflect his love for me and my love for him. Honestly, all of that felt impossible in the beginning… When he died, I didn’t want to be here without him. Yet… here I was with a whole life still ahead.

Even as recently as a month or so ago, I have had days like that – days where I wasn’t sure why I was still here. At the same time, I have great reminders in my life as to why I am still here – reasons to smile… reasons filled with joy… And those reasons are my family… and Bruce’s family (which is also my family as they so often lovingly remind me).

So… after a fabulous week spent visiting, hugging, sharing stories and dreams, yesterday found me at the airport heading back home. No big deal… I have flown many times. There was a time when I was anxious until I was through security, but not anymore. I appreciate what they do, and as long as I am in one of the smaller airports, the overall vibe tends to be one of calm assurance.

When we boarded our plane, it was a beautiful, sunny Michigan afternoon. According to the flight itinerary, we would be in Florida within 2.5 hours. I greeted the people seated next to me and settled into my seat with my book and my pillow – ready for a relaxing, peaceful ride back home.

A couple of hours later, as we approached the airport in Florida, the pilot announced that there were storms over the area, so we would maintain our altitude above the clouds (still in the beautiful sunshine), and circle the airport as we waited for it to pass.

No worries… I was more than happy to wait since I would still have a little bit of a walk to my car in the long-term parking lot. I was more than happy not to do that in the rain. After a couple of hours of circling the area, we were given directions to land although the storm had not passed.

As the pilot began the descent into the storm, we were immediately tossed around like a child’s toy. We rolled side to side and pitched back and forth. Despite having our seatbelts on, the passengers were still being tossed around, forcing us to brace ourselves and hold onto the seats in front of us for stability. People were screaming and crying… chaos seemed to be all around us.

The funny thing is I was actually calm. Normally, I am a worrier, so this calm I felt surprised even me. As my hands fingered Bruce’s wedding ring on the chain around my neck, I just kept repeating a mantra from church, “Wherever I am, God is there, and all is well.” I was well aware of the danger. I just wasn’t scared of the outcome. I knew a few things without a doubt…

1. I knew God was with me. No matter what happened, the outcome would be what it was supposed to be.

2. If I died, Bruce would be there to meet me on the other side.

3. If we all survived, any panic would have been a waste of energy.

As it turned out, the pilot, realizing they could not control the plane and land safely, pulled back up in a steep incline. We ended up flying to the west side of the state. There we sat on the tarmac as the plane was refueled, and we waited for the storm to completely pass from our destination.

Once all was said and done, our 2.5 hour flight had become a 6 hour adventure. Then, add my one hour drive home, it was almost midnight by the time I walked in my door.

I’ll be honest… I was a little bit proud of myself. Mainly because I think Bruce would have been proud of me for all of that. Why? Because I believe my ability to focus on the things I could control rather than fear the things I couldn’t was a huge piece of his legacy that he left behind for the rest of us who knew and loved him… And if I can manage to take even a portion of that same mindset into my future, I know without a doubt that… All… will… be… well.
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Grief changes us. This journey is not an easy path for anyone. Learning to function on this new path is hard, and it is easy to lose our way or forget that we don’t have to do it alone. I don’t think any of us chose to be here… I know I didn’t. Yet, this is where life has landed us for now… This is where we are. Our lives are now filled with challenges we never imagined and emotions that feel overwhelming at times. So often, I think I have it all figured out, only to find that isn’t true at all. Despite the years since Bruce passed, my life is still filled with challenges, as I am sure yours is too. This year, my goal is to simply ‘be’… Be me, be kind, be compassionate, be loving, be hopeful… to just ‘be’ and to be comfortable with that… however it looks.

Peace, Love, and Grief… The Power of Hope

Hope… Such an innocent four-letter word… and yet hope is powerful. Conversely, the lack of hope is also powerful… In fact, a lack of hope can be absolutely devastating. I don’t think I realized just how important hope is to our existence until I became a widow. I didn’t realize it the day Bruce died… or even the next, but within a very short time, I came realize that I had lost all hope. My future… a future without Bruce also seemed to be a future without hope.

Each day seemed to be just like the one before it, and the one after… Wake up (alone), work out (alone), go to work (alone), come home (alone), eat dinner (alone), and go to bed (alone). Then wake up and do all over again. At the time, I didn’t recognize it for what it was. I didn’t even notice just how much power hope (or the lack of) held in my world.

I had no idea that hope, simple hope, is powerful… and the lack of hope is just as powerful… And I don’t think I’m alone in that lack of awareness.

It wasn’t until several years ago, when I built and trained a module on resilience that I realized just how much power I was giving away by living day-to-day with no hope. You see, our emotions guide our thoughts. Our thoughts guide our behaviors, and our behaviors guide our life experiences. So… in order to build resilience to life’s struggles, such as grief, I needed to dig deep and find a way to restructure my behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. I knew at that moment that the lack of hope was affecting every aspect of my life, and I had to find a way to regain even just a little bit of hope… somehow.

I started on that journey for hope a long time ago, and honestly, I still have to constantly make a conscience effort in that direction. This year, in fact, has definitely held a lot of challenges in this direction. I can’t tell you how many times I have found myself struggling with depression and that feeling of absolutely no hope… But I haven’t given up. Instead, I remind myself daily to find some hope some where to avoid that head-long plunge down that god-awful rabbit hole where there is no hope.

I am not trying to say this is simple or easy… It isn’t. There are days when I think I just don’t care anymore. Then, I think of Bruce and all the hope he brought back into my world when I thought I had hit rock bottom… And at that point, I know he didn’t do that for nothing… He believed in me, and it’s time I learn to believe in me, too.

So… just in case there is anyone else out there struggling with the lack of hope on their grief journey, I wanted to share the mantras and meditations I am using throughout my day to keep myself in a hope-filled frame of mind:

1. The power to choose hope lies within myself.

2. Hope begins with me… my world will only be as hopeful as I am.

3. If our thoughts create our experience, then I need to remember that hope begins within me… and my world can only be as hopeful as I am.

Oh… and one more little caveat… There will always be people in your world who knowingly (or unknowingly) will try to bring you down. They may make comments or do things that hurt… things that may even cause you to doubt yourself… Things that make it just a little bit harder to hope.

However, that is completely and totally about them – not you. Don’t take it in… Don’t let it create that slide into negative emotions, thoughts, and behaviors within yourself. Those things say so much more about who they are and where their headspace is. Remind yourself – Those are their emotions, thoughts, and behavior… They are not yours unless you choose to take them in, and thereby, give away your own power.

“As I listen more acutely for my guidance, I let go of trying to find the answer through human channels and turn my attention to the voice of spirit .” ~ Daily Word, May 18,2023
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Grief changes us. This journey is not an easy path for anyone. Learning to function on this new path is hard, and it is easy to lose our way or forget that we don’t have to do it alone. I don’t think any of us chose to be here… I know I didn’t. Yet, this is where life has landed us for now… This is where we are. Our lives are now filled with challenges we never imagined and emotions that feel overwhelming at times. So often, I think I have it all figured out, only to find that isn’t true at all. Despite the years since Bruce passed, my life is still filled with challenges, as I am sure yours is too. This year, my goal is to simply ‘be’… Be me, be kind, be compassionate, be loving, be hopeful… to just ‘be’ and to be comfortable with that… however it looks.

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Peace, Love, and Grief… Triggers

Can we talk about triggers today? Oh my gosh! Before Bruce died, I had no idea how many triggers there would be… There have been things that I would have never guessed would be a trigger, but they are. Do you know what I mean?

In the beginning, the triggers were everywhere – all around me and all the time.

If I saw a couple together holding hands or being affectionate – trigger! All I could think about was everything I was missing and would never have again.

If I saw a couple arguing – trigger! Didn’t they know how precious our time here is? That tomorrow isn’t guaranteed for any of us? Why would you waste even one moment being angry about something that probably won’t even matter tomorrow or be remembered in a year?

If I was walking through the grocery store and saw Bruce’s favorite beer – trigger! I couldn’t get past the knowledge that I will never again buy that beer for him or taste it on his lips.

If I was listening to the radio and “our song” (or any song attached to a special memory) came on – trigger! Such precious moments that are over and gone.

So… many… triggers!

As time has passed, the triggers are less frequent but not less intense. In fact, this last week or so, (for some crazy reason that only the Universe knows), has been filled with triggers.

It started with a book my boss loaned me. I didn’t know anything about the book. I had never heard of the book. I didn’t ask to borrow the book. She happened to bring it to me and simply said, “I just finished this and thought you would really connect with it.” So I read it.

At first, I didn’t quite understand what she thought I would connect with. The main character was only in her 20s, and that was a long time ago for me. However, as the storyline progressed, I realized this main character was in an abusive relationship. (I literally had to put the book down and pull myself together emotionally several times while reading.)

Yet, not only did I connect with the abusive portion and all that it entailed, there was also the hero in her life that offered her the safety of a loving relationship (just as Bruce did for me so many years ago). The book was great, but it took me several days to push down all the domestic violence memories and remind myself that I am safe now. (Although, admittedly, without Bruce I still struggle in that department.)

Then in the next book I was reading, one of the main characters had a heart attack, and that particular chapter was told from his viewpoint. For me, it felt like I was reading about Bruce’s death with Bruce telling me the story. I can’t lie… It was really hard to read, and the tears would not stop. All the memories of that night and my own feelings of failing him flooded back and filled my soul.

Later in the week, I was watching a movie with a friend. She warned me beforehand that there might be some parts that would trigger me. (Thank you, my friend!) But I wanted to watch it anyway. As the movie progressed, I slowly came to realize that the mother in the movie was dealing with a recurrence of breast cancer and was dying. (Yes, one of my fears.) At the point where it all becomes crystal clear, she is lying in her husband’s arms crying and telling him how scared she is… All he can do is hold her close and kiss her.

True, this never occurred between Bruce and I because I got cancer after he died. But I found myself feeling a little bit jealous that he was never able to do that. I needed him back then and would have given anything to have had his love and support when I went down that road. (Yes… I do realize that the movie is fiction and being jealous is silly. However, I cannot control how I feel, only what I choose to do with those feelings. So, I am just being honest here.)

And finally…

One evening this week, I was sitting in my reading chair (not reading). I was simply sitting there, looking at our space, and missing Bruce (a lot). I had been silent for quite a while. However, when I found myself looking at a picture of him fishing at the beach, I simply said out loud, “I miss you, Babe”. Suddenly, the Alexa in the kitchen started playing Jimmy Buffet’s song, “A Pirate Looks at 40”. (To clarify, JB was our favorite. We went to several concerts through the years, and spent many nights simply dancing barefoot to his tunes in the kitchen.) I didn’t know whether to smile or cry when it happened… so I did both. (I don’t know that this was necessarily a trigger as much as a comfort to my soul after all the other triggers, and I am so grateful for it.)

Honestly, I don’t think the triggers will ever stop being a thing. I also believe that time does help me manage those triggers better and better. For example, in the beginning, I had to wear sunglasses almost everywhere I went so people couldn’t see that I was crying. Now, I am pretty good at pushing the tears back, (or keeping them to a minimum), and moving on… waiting to contemplate whatever trigger happened later when I am alone to write it out and/or think it through. I can’t say dealing with triggers gets any easier with time, but I do think over time I am learning to work through them in a much more healthy way… which is a step in the right direction.
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Grief changes us. This journey is not an easy path for anyone. Learning to function on this new path is hard, and it is easy to lose our way or forget that we don’t have to do it alone. I don’t think any of us chose to be here… I know I didn’t. Yet, this is where life has landed us for now… This is where we are. Our lives are now filled with challenges we never imagined and emotions that feel overwhelming at times. So often, I think I have it all figured out, only to find that isn’t true at all. Despite the years since Bruce passed, my life is still filled with challenges, as I am sure yours is too. This year, my goal is to simply ‘be’… Be me, be kind, be compassionate, be loving, be hopeful… to just ‘be’ and to be comfortable with that… however it looks.

Peace, Love, and Grief… Remembering the Good

I can’t even begin to count the number of self-help books and articles I have read since Bruce died. I seem to always have one that I am reading and the next one waiting on the bedside table. In the beginning they seemed to all be about dealing with grief, and over time, that has grown into many “side” topics that still relate back to grief in some fashion (at least, for me). Shoot! Even when the topic has nothing to do with grief, I seem to always find some tidbit I can apply that helps my grief journey move forward, even if it is only a baby step.

When Bruce first died, all I could focus on was the fact that he was gone, and I was alone. Nothing else seemed to sink in… Nothing else mattered. Everything in my mind was centered on the absolute awfulness of the entire situation – all the years left to be alone, all the holidays and special moments that would never be… The future looked bleak… Life wasn’t supposed to be like this, and yet, this was all I could see.

Back then, I felt so lost, even prayer was something I couldn’t find the ability to do. People would say things to try to make me feel better, but I couldn’t hear the love in what they were saying. All I could hear was what felt like judgement or a complete inability to understand what I was going through. I can’t even tell you how many times I heard that I needed to learn to look for the positives in all this – to rejoice and be thankful.

Excuse me?? NO!! I couldn’t do that any more than I could bring Bruce back… (And believe me, if I could have done either of those things, I would have.)

As time has passed, I have learned a few things about this journey… They aren’t big. They are quite small, but for me, these have made a huge difference in my ability to navigate this path just a little bit better.

1. God never said to be thankful for all circumstances. The verse actually says to be thankful in all circumstances. In other words, this verse is meant to be a reminder to look for the blessings around us, even when we are in the middle of something awful… like grief. It was never meant to be used in judgement or to make us feel bad about where we are emotionally. It is simply a sign on the journey… a reminder… nothing more.

2. As time passes, I think less and less about that terrible night when Bruce died. I haven’t forgotten it… I will always remember every last detail. However, I don’t think about it all the time. Instead, I find myself remembering all the good times… all the sweet memories we built together… all the love I felt when we were together… That is where my mind goes these days.

3. And because that is now where my mind tends to stay, I am finally able to pray for God to help me accept what I have to accept… To understand that death is as much a part of this life as breathing. You see, as long as I was focused solely on the negatives, I couldn’t remember the good things, and I couldn’t vocalize that prayer. Yet, when I am focused on the good things, the negatives turn out to be not so powerful, and I can breathe.

I’m not sure where along the line things changed, but this week, I realized that I have finally come to a point where the good memories greatly outweigh the sadness at least 90% of the time. That’s pretty good, don’t you think? I mean, sure… It has taken me a while to get here… and I still have a ways to go… But in the meantime, I will celebrate and accept the joy of remembering the good, and be thankful that I am learning to accept what I have to accept.
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Grief changes us. This journey is not an easy path for anyone. Learning to function on this new path is hard, and it is easy to lose our way or forget that we don’t have to do it alone. I don’t think any of us chose to be here… I know I didn’t. Yet, this is where life has landed us for now… This is where we are. Our lives are now filled with challenges we never imagined and emotions that feel overwhelming at times. So often, I think I have it all figured out, only to find that isn’t true at all. Despite the years since Bruce passed, my life is still filled with challenges, as I am sure yours is too. This year, my goal is to simply ‘be’… Be me, be kind, be compassionate, be loving, be hopeful… to just ‘be’ and to be comfortable with that… however it looks.

Peace, Love, and Grief… A Tribute to a Friend

I spent this morning with old friends back in SC celebrating the life of a fellow teacher… But not just any teacher. This teacher was a nun that started at our school not long after I started.

I wasn’t raised Catholic, so the only experience I had with nuns before that was from watching The Sound of Music. (Silly comparison, I know.) This dear, sweet nun, though, wasn’t like anything from Hollywood. (Thankfully!) She was her own dear, sweet person, and this particular dear, sweet nun meant the world to me. She touched my soul in ways I am still realizing years later. You know, they say you will likely never know the impact you have on others… I think that is so true. While she (sadly) isn’t here to read it, I wanted to write her a letter to tell her just how much she meant (and still means) to me…

Dear Sister,

Today, so many of us who love you gathered to celebrate your life. I can’t believe you are gone from us. As much as I know about death, I think there was a part of me that childishly thought you would always be here. When I learned of your passing months ago, I felt a hole open in my heart… A hole only you can fill. I cried then… and I cried today. It is hard to believe I will never again see your sweet smile or hear you say, “My love, my dove, my beautiful one.”

I didn’t know anything about nuns when I first met you. I thought nuns were supposed to be demure and passive. You, however, showed me something totally different. You showed me that a woman can love God and still be a strong force in this world. You knew what you believed in. You knew what you expected in others. You held all of us to a higher accountability… And we wanted to be there… I know I wanted that mainly because you believed I could.

I remember when it came to the kids you had high expectations around discipline. You did not mess around, and made your expectations known with no room for doubt. I can remember when the 8th grade boys were in trouble, they would beg to be sent to anyone but you… Not because you were cruel, but because none of us ever wanted to let you down. Yet, once discipline had been handled, it was over, and you once again called them “your love, your dove, your beautiful one”. Your love for each and every child (and the rest of us) was completely unconditional, (and we all knew that – there was no doubt). No matter what transpired, you always had a smile, and a hug for each and every one of us.

I remember times when you and I disagreed… But it was okay. You stated your thoughts and opinion, but you never tried to make me concede. It was a conversation with differing opinions – nothing more. (Or maybe you tried, but I was oblivious! LOL!)

Even when our family was splitting up, you were amazing. It was a hard time for our family, because divorce is hard – even when it is the right move. Ours also carried the weight of domestic violence and (still ongoing) threats. While your views were more conservative than mine, you were still supportive to me and loving to my children.

To this day, I still find myself sharing funny stories about our days teaching together and the many nuggets of wisdom you planted for all of us. While my faith journey has taken me in other directions, my faith and belief in God is still firm and you had a lot to do with that, because you were a perfect example of God’s love here on earth.

Thank you! Thank you for all you did so many years ago, and for all the seeds you planted that have helped me through the years. You were an amazing lady and I will always consider myself blessed to have known and worked with you on a daily basis for so long (and through such a hard portion of my life).

I love you, Sister! May you rest in the peace and love of our God – the God you served and loved so completely!
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Grief changes us. This journey is not an easy path for anyone… and some days, it can be just a little bit harder. I don’t think any of us wants to be on this path, but this is where life has landed us for now… This is where we are. Our lives are now filled with challenges we never imagined. Each time I think I have it figured out; I find I don’t at all, despite the years since Bruce passed. This year has been filled to the brim with challenges, but my goal has been to learn to simply “be” – whatever that looks like in each moment.