3/18/09

been there but never done this



You never think it will happen to you.

When I was forty-five, my husband died of cancer.


Suddenly I was a young widow and a single mom. All the parenting and financial responsibilities were now on my shoulders.

At times the pain of my loss and my anxiety about the future felt overwhelming. But eventually, one small step at a time, I made it through. It wasn't easy. I thought the terrible pain would never go away. But with time, it did soften.

Since then, I've become a psychotherapist specializing in helping the widowed. I eventually turned my personal and professional experiences into a book that I co-authored with my daughter, Laurie. Although we have a Lost My Partner website, a blog promises a more immediate connection to others who have been widowed.

Because there's nothing quite like support from someone who's "been there", I'll share the strategies that have proven most helpful to me (along with what Laurie's learned from counseling the bereaved), and hope you'll share your own tips, thoughts and experiences.

So here goes: our first step out into the blogosphere.

We hope you'll join us.

Ruth