THE SUNNY DAYS AHEAD STORY

In July, 2005, my husband died of cancer.

We had a very special relationship that lasted thirty years. Even though he was battling cancer for two and a half years, I never allowed myself to contemplate what it would be like for me after he was gone. The first year I was busy with friends, family, and legal affairs. I also went to a bereavement group, but left feeling upset, lonely, and definitely depressed. I then started meeting others who had recently lost their spouses to cancer. I began creating my own support group by phoning them regularly. When I needed someone to listen to me, talk to me, cry with me, or someone who could understand what I was experiencing, I would call one of them for support.

My friends and family were supportive, but it was very difficult to explain what it felt like to have lost my husband. They, too, were dealing with their own loss of my husband – he was their father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and dear friend. Time went by and it became clear that the adjustment to the loss of one’s life partner was going to require a concerted effort.

After fifteen months and some encouragement from friends, I checked out a few Internet dating web sites and decided to look for a man. Three months and three coffee dates later, I came to the decision that this was not for me!

I realized that I needed people who had a similar experience.

I decided to search the Internet to see if there were any organizations other that bereavement groups who were focusing on widows and widowers. I did not find any thing that interested me.

That is when I decided to create my own Internet site.

Can I create “a network of supportive relationships” which will include people who are not just dealing with grief and loss, but who are eager to make a conscious effort to move on with their lives?