Well said, all of it!

Colleen,
I know what you mean about surviving. Sometimes, I feel sad and guilty that it takes everything I have just to get my 2 kids and me through life. My husband died from kidney cancer 3 1/2 years ago when my daughter was 10 and my son 12. It is incredibly hard to be the mom and the dad in the family. I have been dating a kind man for 1 1/2 years, and we are in no hurry to combine households. My daily life with the kids is still on my own with some help from my parents. My former in-laws are not involved and never call to see how we’re doing or if we need anything.
My hope is that even though I cannot give my kids the ideal life I had planned for them, I can be an example of a person who did not give up on life, who kept moving forward, trying my best and seeking love. I’ve trued to stay in contact with a few good gal pals. Sometimes, I’ve taken the kids along to meet a friend for a meal and sat them at a separate table so that we could “girl talk” because I realize that on my own I couldn’t get a sitter for every small social interaction. If you’ve read other info about widowhood, you’ll see that some former friends disappear, but you will cherish all the more the ones who stay.

Hey Angie,
I believe your baby is already here, I don’t know what to say to you but Shower you, baby, with all the love you can, We all did not expect to be this way but hey there is still hope for tomorrow. Hugs

Hi Ruby, I came across this post of about a year ago. I also lost my husband (now 4 years ago) and my kids were also 3 and 6 at the time. You are not alone.

Hi Teri, keep on keeping on my friend 💪🙌 🙂.

Hi Carolyn, after several tumultuous years, I learned a really simple way to lessen the anxiety over the “what would he think” thoughts. You have the option to decide that your husband would be proud of all of your decisions 😊. You do the best you can with the information you have at any given moment and that’s the best any of us can do.

Hi Leah, there’s so much to do it’s hard not to get overwhelmed sometimes! But I bet you’re doing far more than you give yourself credit for. Maybe you can change your vocabulary from “I have no motivation” to “I’m making new strides every day.” You are accomplishing so much, Leah. Don’t forget to identify your wins!