Financial Advice for Widows - Blog

Delayed Grief Reactions

Delayed grief reactions are intense grief reactions occurring years after the death of a loved one. Watching a movie or the news, reading a book or the paper can ignite grief that was thought to be ‘processed’. Delayed grief reactions can be a normal response to a loss and it can complicate your grief process. Feeling sad when someone is sharing their grief story or crying during a movie when there is loss is not delayed grief. Delayed grief is intense grief and feels excessive.

Memories of the Little Things

Can you remember the way your loved one smiled at you or the way he made you laugh? Do you think about the times you shared intimate moments and long to have those times back? Do you think about the little things like how he drove, cooked, or played a game? Most of us...

A Grief Letter Can Help You Heal

Writing to Process Grief Sometimes I cringe when I hear this advice: Write a letter to your loved one and throw it away. People who are not trained grief counselors think this task will help the bereaved with ‘letting go’ or ‘moving on’ from their loss. It is true...

How to Move on and Move Away from Grief After the Loss of a Loved One

When we lose a loved one, we’re left with all the memories of our lives with them in it. It can be difficult to move on and feel happy when those memories are all around you. Every room, every doorway, and every inch can carry so much baggage. Sometimes, moving on...

Create a New Life After Loss

When we are grieving, it is easy to go about each day striving to just make it through. And then something changes, and suddenly we realize we are living a new life. It may be a life filled with grief, but it’s new and comfortable. Sometimes this just happens. Other...

The Power of Pets: Companion Animals Help Us Heal

Pets help us heal after loss Mourning a spouse can leave you feeling abandoned and lonely. Having a furry or feathered companion keeping you company can alleviate some of your loneliness. In my work with widows and widowers, I have heard some of the following comments...

Change Your Space to Heal Your Heart

Will You Change Your Space? It has been one year since his death, and when you walk into the house, it feels like everything has changed. For years you have entered the house through the same door, expressed greetings in the same way, and seen the same faces. Now,...

Death of Your Dreams: When dreams are shattered after death

Death of Your Dreams When your spouse died, the dreams you had together died, as well. Plans like retirement and travel, living in a new place, or saving for a big purchase, are now no longer feasible. You dreamed and planned for a future of relaxation, peace, and...

“Time Heals All Wounds”

This platitude is so far from true. Most of us who have experienced the death of a family member, and who work through our grief in a healthy way would say time has nothing to do with healing. Time is powerful: it keeps moving, and even death cannot stop it, but it...

20 Minutes of Your Time Can Make Next Year’s Tax Season Your Easiest Ever

Are you already dreading April 15th? (Or do you always file for an extension and therefore dread some other day in the future?) If tax season catches you unaware or unprepared each year, you can take a few simple actions now to make next year’s tax season the easiest...