Category: Post Traumatic Growth
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What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
We’ve all heard of PTSD, but have you ever heard of Post Traumatic Growth? If not, then I’m super excited to tell you about it. I had no idea PTG existed until I started listening to the fantastic podcast The Happiness Lab several months ago. As I heard story after story of people going through… Read more
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Never Gonna Not Dance Again
In my widowhood, I’ve become a bit of a dancing queen. Now that’s not to say that I didn’t dance a lot when Stephen was alive. As I’ve mentioned on other parts of my blog, Stephen was my dance teacher and we had impromptu dance parties on a regular basis. Dancing was one of my… Read more
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One Day, One Year Later
Today marks the eight year anniversary of my wedding. This is my second anniversary without Stephen. As I reflect back on how I was doing one year ago, I’m astounded by the progress I’ve made. Last year, the days leading up to September 16 were very difficult, with several tear-filled days and restless nights. This… Read more
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Living A Dream
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” When Steve and I went to Hawaii in 2020, he bought a decal that said “Living The Dream” under a palm tree. But in typical Steve fashion, he modified it to suit his own tastes. (He rarely purchased anything… Read more
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She Chose to Be the Light
“You are what you eat.” We’ve all heard this saying before. But I think it has a meaning that goes far beyond making healthy dietary choices to sustain your body responsibly. We also are what we eat in terms of media. Do you start your morning scrolling through depressing news headlines on your phone, or… Read more
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35 is the New 25
A friend asked me recently, “How does it feel to be 35?” I paused for a moment to consider the question seriously, and then said, Honestly, I feel younger! In many ways, I feel like I’m 25 again. My life has taken a bizarrely circular path in the last year. Losing both Stephen and Kelvin… Read more
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Is it Okay to Feel Happy?
I’ve been wrestling with what I call “happiness guilt” for months. Last year, I was spending some quality time with one of my friends, and she asked me very sincerely, “Do you ever feel guilty about being happy?” This question might not make sense to people who haven’t experienced losing someone in a tragic, untimely… Read more
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How Am I So Okay?
I’ve been asking myself this a lot lately. I felt a huge shift in my state of being about six months after Steve died. Everyone was telling me it would be a couple years before I felt like myself again, but somehow I returned to my usual joyful self in a mere half-year. I never… Read more