I am not the first man who held his wife’s hand as she died. I’m not the first widower. But when it happened that’s what I thought. I decided I was the only one who had ever been through something like that. No one understood. No one could fathom the emptiness and despair. We seldom […]
For several days, maybe a week, you’re at the top of everyone’s calendar. You’re overwhelmed with attention. Soccer games are missed. Jobs are put on hold. Vacations are shortened. Everyone wants to be by your side. Surrounded by friends and family, you tread through difficult decisions and memorial services. You find strength and comfort even […]
Today I took off my wedding ring. No, I don’t intend to do anything damaging, dangerous, or detrimental. For a long time after my wife passed away, I continued to wear my wedding ring. I’m not sure why. Maybe I was going through the denial stage of grief. (At least that’s what turns up if […]
I loved listening to my dad tell stories—sometimes the same ones over and over. But there are details about him I don’t know simply because I never asked. I thought I would share with you some questions I wish I had discussed with him. It’s too late for me and my dad (at least until […]
As the last beam of sunlight faintly kisses the red-orange sky, you know the strike can come at any moment. Anticipation is high as you anxiously await the attack. Strategies and plans have been drawn up. Trenches have been dug. Troops have been set. Every angle and avenue have been thoroughly examined. You know you […]
I sat there shattered. The explosion inside my chest was silent, but it tore through my world with the same force, the same devastation, as a mighty lake, unleashed by a broken dam, rushing, slamming, and crashing its way through the valley below. Just like that—in an instant—I was a widower. A single dad raising […]