Widowhood Is Not Funny

Monday, April 23, 2007

Widows Helping Widows

She was there in the waiting area of the local Kwik Kar, looking a bit forlorn, when I showed up to get my car inspected. Yes, that's another of those chores we widows have inherited from our husbands.

"Don't you just hate having to deal with this stuff?" I asked her.

That's when I discovered I had found another woman like myself--a widow. As it turned out, her husband had passed away the same year as mine had.

Her eyes grew misty as she told me her story, which was very similar to my own--sudden, unexpected widowhood. And like me, she was confused, lonely and even a little angry. Anger is the hardest emotion to get past, I've discovered.

For an hour we talked together, cried together and then exchanged names and email addresses. I also gave her the link to my favorite forum where Boomer Ladies get together, and where they had recently set up a special forum for widows. For those of you who are interested it is:
http://www.boomerwomenspeak.com Since that day, my new friend and I have had lunch together and spent enjoyable hours getting to know one another.

I hugged her goodbye that day we met, and as I left she told me how much I had helped her, how much she needed to talk to another person who understood what she was going through.

What she didn't know at the time was how much she had helped me too. I felt as if a gigantic weight had been lifted from my shoulders. On the way home, I hummed along to the oldies playing on the radio, and I actually smiled. I absolutely felt more light-hearted than I had since my darling Mel died.

It was simple really; I had touched the life of another person and she in turn had touched mine. I knew that neither of us would ever be the same.

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