Let's build you a personal board of directors! Build Your Personal Board of Directors Widowhood changes more than our marital status. It changes how we make decisions. When we're married, we often have someone to think through life with. We bounce ideas off each other, weigh options together, and share the responsibility of difficult choices just naturally, over dinner. After the death of a spouse, that sounding board is suddenly gone. Over the past several years, I've learned that while no...

When this picture was taken, we were simply celebrating another first day of school. None of us knew how precious these ordinary moments would become. Every August, the world seems to come alive with fresh starts. Store aisles fill with backpacks and lunchboxes. Parents compare school supply lists. Teachers decorate classrooms. Social media fills with smiling first-day-of-school pictures. For many widowed parents, however, back-to-school season doesn't feel exciting. It feels heavy,...

I belonged next to Eric. I still struggle with where I belong now. The Empty Chair: When Widowhood Changes Where You Belong I belonged next to Eric. I still struggle with where I belong now. People often assume widow loneliness is simply about being alone. But many widows know it is more complicated than that. Sometimes the hardest part isn't being alone. It's missing the person who made a place for you in the world. The person who expected you to be there. The person who made life feel like...