Becoming a bride, a wife or a mother is a joyous occasion; becoming a widow is not. It’s a painful, frightening and lonely one.
Widowhood is indifferent to the circumstances and dreams of those it affects—women of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances. Becoming widowed is a harrowing experience—one which most women find themselves emotionally unprepared for. The ensuing grief is daunting and painful. Establishing a new life is challenging. The women in this book are all victims—and survivors—of widowhood. You will learn from their stories how each dealt with the challenges she encountered upon the death of her spouse and how she embarked on a new life.
Each of these widows, everyday wonder women, is special in her own right—with her own inspiring story to tell, in her own words.
While most “widow” or “grief” books have been written by trained professionals or high profile public figures, Widows – Our Words and Ways, is unique in that it consists of twenty-five first person narratives of a diverse group of widows relating their personal experiences in facing the death of their spouse, how they coped with their grief and loss of the life they knew, and how they each established a new life.
The widows in Widows – Our Words and Ways are of all ages and are from diverse ethnic, racial, religious, educational and economic backgrounds. They became widows under a wide range of circumstances, and their personal stories wildly differ. They include women who were widowed as young as twenty-one and women widowed in their sixties, widows with children and without, women whose spouses died after a prolonged illness and women whose spouses died suddenly. Each of these women has suffered the pain of widowhood. Each has survived it in her own way, by finding her own sources of support and resources to move with her life. The women in this book provide valuable insights, wisdom and inspiration for grieving widows.
Regardless of who the widow reading this book is, she will hopefully find in these pages one or more individuals to whom she will relate and numerous nuggets of wisdom to help her move forward with her life.