My late husband Roy would have been 82 on June 3, 2023. The creation of this website was inspired by the journey of grief I undertook following his sudden death of a heart attack on July 10, 2011. As I approach the twelfth anniversary of his death, I am reminded of the many painful yet educational lessons…
I was looking through my old journals hoping to find the details of a dream that I had shortly after Roy died. I have never forgotten this particular dream. In it, I am lying on my bed-it is nighttime. I am aware of the presence of a bright and illuminated being-he is floating above me…
In this next writing, I will begin to unpack what steps I took to create my new life and identity as a single woman. I remember reviewing Roy’s death certificate several months after his death. I noticed that it said he was married to me on the day of his death. Ironically, this is the same day…
In this next writing, I am continuing with the theme of letting go. During the initial months following Roy’s death, the focus was not only on saying goodbye to his personal effects, it was also about saying goodbye to his physical presence in my daily life. I needed to understand, without his presence, all of our…
A friend was telling me about a widower she has befriended whose wife of 25 years died four years ago. She noticed that his home looks like a shrine to his late wife. There are many photos placed in special spots throughout the house. They are platonic friends and she feels attracted to him. She…
This being human is a guest house.Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comesas an unexpected visitor … Be grateful for whoever comes,because each has been sentas a guide from beyond. Rumi When we have walked the path of grief for a long enough period of time, we…
I ended my last post with this thought: What I know now is that we do have a say in how our life is going to go. We can survive grief and hardship. We can learn how to thrive again. These are life transforming moments. If we bring all the transformational learning and teaching to…
This is a reposting of an article originally published in 2014. My late husband Roy died suddenly and unexpectedly on July 10, 2011. I will soon be arriving at the three year anniversary of his death. The journey of grief from that fateful day to today was filled with terrible emotional pain, severe depression, unending…
Like alot of people these days, I finally snapped. Last week my partner and I went to see the local holiday lights. He arrived at my home with car trouble and was understandably preoccupied with that. I suggested we take my car and he preferred to take his so he could spend some time listening to his…
It’s December 2021, which marks the 11th holiday season that I’ve experienced without my late husband. Fortunately, each season has gotten easier. It is possible to recreate a joy-filled and meaningful life in the aftermath of death, loss, and those horrific changes that life throws our way.As a retired mental health professional with close to…
Happy Birthday Whispers of Wisdom®. Today is your third anniversary of being launched! Wow… the time has gone quickly. When I wrote my first post in 2014, I was approaching the third anniversary of Roy’s death and thought I had “come through the grief” – which in a certain way I had. However, adding on…
The thoughts that the mind produces can be a slippery slope. Since my last blog post about ghosting in relationships, I have received valuable feedback from so many readers, colleagues, and friends. Most have had similar experiences and have asked me for an update. It has been over five weeks since I last heard from…
We’ve each experienced those times when our plans just fall flat. Maybe you wanted to lose 5 lbs within a month and gained 2 instead. Or perhaps you envisioned finishing a work project and then got hit with the flu and you missed your deadline. It may be a situation where you have been disappointed…
Ok I will admit it – I often enjoy working with alternative tools for self-awareness, development, and growth – like Tarot Cards, spiritual intuitive readings, and astrological chartings. One of my favorite tools is a deck of cards by New York Times best-selling author Don Miguel Ruiz, which is based on his best selling book…
I have looked life in the face with open eyes. I have learned that it takes courage to keep both feet in the game of life. I have learned since being on my own that I need to say NO to so many urges and impulses. Saying NO to the impulse is putting off short…
Happy New Year! Although I have not written a post since Thanksgiving, I have done a great deal of thinking during the past few weeks about where to go with my posts. I recently recognized that I am ready to move onto topics other than grief. Grief finally found its proper place within my psyche…
I had a meltdown yesterday and it is only December 2! After an intense session with my analyst, I returned home, ate lunch, and felt exhausted. I took a 2 1/2 hour nap with my cats and woke up feeling tired. Then I spotted the familiar red wrapped boxes in my kitchen. The day before…
The poet of the sixties, Rod McKuen wrote this short poem: “where do they go the friends who come into our lives like green leaves and leave like melting snow?” I think of this poem today as I remember the sunrise that I saw this morning. I was up early enough to see it because…
For the past year and a half I have had a chronic need to scratch the top of my head. This is a recurring condition that surfaces when I am under stress. As a result of the scratching, I have a bald spot at the top of my head in the crown chakra area. The…
Recently I was asked why I share such personal information on my blog. The questioner stated that he could not imagine “revealing” this kind of material in a public forum. I have been thinking about this query for the past couple of weeks. The verb to reveal comes from the 14th century old French reveler…
