Thursday, May 5, 2005
My Story
A Widow for One Year is the title of my favorite John Irving novel. The main character is a writer who writes a novel entitled A Widow for One Year. She is confronted by an angry reader who has been widowed. She explains to the writer that she is a widow forever, not just for one year.
I married the only man I have ever loved in August 2000. We had seven incredible years together and two beautiful children. On June 1, 2007, the love of my life was diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. He was on borrowed time. After surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, two bouts with pneumonia, and paralysis, my husband succumbed to this disease only 4 1/2 months after his diagnosis.
This is my journey through grief and single parenthood and all that goes with it. It's not always pretty, but I refuse to be defined by my grief.
Welcome to my story.
For more about me click here to read an interview in the Star Ledger.
I married the only man I have ever loved in August 2000. We had seven incredible years together and two beautiful children. On June 1, 2007, the love of my life was diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. He was on borrowed time. After surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, two bouts with pneumonia, and paralysis, my husband succumbed to this disease only 4 1/2 months after his diagnosis.
This is my journey through grief and single parenthood and all that goes with it. It's not always pretty, but I refuse to be defined by my grief.
Welcome to my story.
For more about me click here to read an interview in the Star Ledger.
Aidan's Third Birthday
3 Comments:
At May 6, 2008 12:04 AM,
Anonymous said...
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At May 7, 2008 1:24 PM,
Anonymous said...
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At June 15, 2008 10:21 PM,
wrh said...
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Hi, I just found your blog and stayed up reading it last night. It was special to me because I was widowed 4 weeks ago. I lost my husband to AML (leukemia). He was diagnosed in October and passed away in April--he was 38. We have a 7 year old & an almost 3 year old. Thanks for the blog--it made me laugh out loud in parts(not easy to do these days).
I also lost my husband after 4.5 months to leukemia. I saw the link to your blog on cnn. I had a chuckle to myself because being a widow at 33 back in 1995, sobbing (and you know what I'm talking about!) in a therapist office, he asked if I had any support. I told him I belonged to an online support group alt.support.grief ... he told me they weren't real people LOL ... they saved my life - that was pretty darn real to me!
I didn't have any little ones to give me a reason to get up ... looking at the picture of Aidan ... OMG, he looks just like GH.
Remember, if it doesn't kill you, it'll make you stronger. I am remarried now and have two kids, 8 and 6. I still dream about my late husband and miss him dearly. I too snuggled in his hospital bed and wiped his tears and mine ... so many times. No matter where your life takes you or you take it, he's walking along side.
Somehow, it all made me stronger in the end.
Hugs, Kathy
We've never actually met, so maybe this is strange, but I thought about you today, and yesterday, quite a bit. Your kids are probably too young to feel the full impact of the symbolism of father's day and what it means for them, but their mom is most certainly not.
I hope it didn't suck as much as it could have. Please know that there are strangers, sort of, out here in the wide world sending good wishes towards you and your beautiful kids.
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