That First Year: Coping Tips For New Widows And Widowers

When I became a widow at the age of 52, I sought out the company of other women in the same circumstances. Being confused and overwhelmed, I hoped that spending time with experienced widows, could somehow help me cope better.

I feel that the wisdom of women was instrumental in my recovery. Based on what I heard from them, and my own experience, I wrote a list of several coping tips and some general observations. I hope that those could be helpful for new widows and widowers in the difficult first year.

Please keep reading in the Times Of Israel

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/that-first-year-coping-tips-for-new-widows-and-widowers/

The Comfort of Denial

A powerful cartoon on PBS,  by Jack Ohman, with the perfect title: “In my dad’s final weeks, I was still in Denial, “  reminded me, this morning, of the time of my husband's illness. I too, till the last moment, was in complete denial.

This is an essay in which I argue that denial could be helpful when dealing with tragedy.

Sometimes I hear people remark “she is in complete denial,” several years ago that's probably how they described me. They could not have known, but at that time I chose denial as a way of life and as the best course of action. After my husband was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, and heard from the Oncologist about his prognosis, I decided to put that knowledge aside.

Please keep reading in the Times Of Israel

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-comfort-of-denial/

Jack Ohman's cartoon

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/everything-went-wrong-dads-health/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=newshour