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Blogs by Gene K. Garrison
WIDOWHOOD HAPPENS 2/6/2011 12:44:28 PM
Prepare for widowhood. Widowhood Happens is a collection of interviews with widowers and widows, widower support groups, young widows, elderly people who have experienced the death of a spouse, a grief book, interviews with professionals who deal with grief and possibilities for a future without a husband or wife. I wonder how many people were widowed today. Maybe you, like me, glance through the obituaries in the paper to see if we recognize any names. Somewhere in your area, and mine, people are grieving, mostly muddling through, as they have done for ages. Strange things are being said to them. They were intended to be words of comfort, but they aren't. They're insensitive.
Wouldn't it be easier on everyone if we had all done a little homework and prepared somewhat for this eventuality in our own lives — the fairly sure bet that we as widows and widowers will know the papers necessary to file for various entities, know what type of ceremony the deceased wanted, expect some strange unexpected remarks, arrange for a funeral, memorial service, celebration of life gathering, or a green burial.
I once mentioned to my husband that I didn't want any flowers at my memorial service because I'm allergic to them. He said, seriously, "You won't smell them." He's right, we won't smell the roses, but we can inform ourselves about the things we don't want to think about. You'll find them in my book, Widowhood Happens. It's not a difficult read. It's not all doom and gloom, as you might think this blog is.
