My husband and I became Florida snowbirds for awhile - mainly so he could extend his time on the water angling. Then the pandemic hit and we reconsidered life choices and opportunities. We sold the Florida place and decided on a three month winter rental in Lewes, Delaware to be near the two youngest grandchildren.
He never got to winter in Delaware. He died. I decided to follow through with our plan and I spent the winter in Delaware. It was a bittersweet winter, but I was determined to squeeze out every possible joy out of every single day. It was hard. It was an extremely lonely endeavor. And I survived. And, yes, there was so much joy to be had.
This past winter, I rented a place for three months in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina where I could be with my son, grandson, sister, and brother. I've learned over these past two winters that I really didn't need a whole lot of "stuff" to have a happy life. My time with those I love was wealth beyond measure and these memories will travel home with me.
Finding joy is great! I highly recommend it but don't think it will ever absolve you of that shadow of grief that's always right beside you. How can it be otherwise when your shared life of over forty years changes in an instant. My guess is, only those who are widowed will truly understand this reflection. I'm learning that there is really no place to go to get away from this kind of loss. I'm not sure how this will impact my future adventures, but I am still learning .
No comments:
Post a Comment