I can't even conceive of me being categorized. I recently had to make a selection and automatically started to place the check mark on the box indicating married. Before I could actually put the pen to paper, I gagged when I saw the other box with the W word. In a matter of milliseconds the thoughts came crashing through my mind: That's not me. I can't be that now. I refuse to acknowledge that. Holy gawd, I'm not one of those. Please, not yet. A feeling of total despair washed over me. It was a visceral reaction.
I think as if we're still a couple. I suppose I do that because I continue to talk to him every day. Visions of my Beloved appear in my head as I see him walking around the house doing the things he used to do, sitting beside me when I eat breakfast or in the car, sitting in his favorite chair in the living room watching the Patriots and Mercury games. Yes, we're big fans!
I have photos of him everywhere so I can catch his twinkling eyes looking at me. Most of the time, not always, locking our eyes brings me a moment of peace. I savor those moments.
I say the Mourner's Kaddish every morning and then I look at his photo and think, "I shouldn't have to do this" because even though it is just me now, I still feel married. I think of myself as a married person, nothing else. I just don't feel the W word applies to me, not now, maybe not ever.
I'll always think of us as a couple, a continuing loving partnership, because he's always at my side and that's just they way it is.
Copyright © 2017, Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Grieving doesn't go away
I've recently had some not so bad days. Today wasn't one of them. I spent most of the morning crying so hard, my chest literally hurt. The pain was sharp enough for me to take a baby aspirin. It started, as usual, while I was driving. I cry out so loud I sometimes wonder if people driving beside me can hear me. I can't seem to get out of the chaos that envelopes my whole being.
I'm not looking for this chaos to stop any time soon. The way of grieving is such an individual thing. I suspect that these meltdowns will be with me for the rest of my life. Maybe they won't occur as often....or maybe they will. I'll just have my bottle of aspirin handy and a lot of tissues.
Copyright © 2017, Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved
I'm not looking for this chaos to stop any time soon. The way of grieving is such an individual thing. I suspect that these meltdowns will be with me for the rest of my life. Maybe they won't occur as often....or maybe they will. I'll just have my bottle of aspirin handy and a lot of tissues.
Copyright © 2017, Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved
Friday, September 15, 2017
Sometimes .......I just can't..........
Sometimes I just.........can't.............stand.............it!
The void is huge. The realization overtakes me and it's like a blow to the head and I cry out at the top of my lungs. The tears are copious and I sometimes have to struggle to breathe. Too often it happens while I'm driving. That's not a good thing although I haven't had to pull over to the side of the road yet. When it happens in the house, I scare the hell out of the doggies. But then they 'scooch' over to me and bury their heads in my chest. That calms me down. They are a lifeline for me.
I can go through some days in a fairly normal manner with just a few outbreaks of sadness. Then there are those other days. I suppose my road is not really different from the road others have taken in this situation.....and I understand that. But I hate it, I just hate it.
These are strong feelings that get to me but I allow them to wash over me because if I don't I'll explode.
I haven't forgotten to laugh, though. Friends call fairly often and there's always something to chuckle about in these conversations, especially when they bring up Warren's puns! And when they do, I picture his beautiful smile, his laughter and the twinkle in his eye.
I keep thinking what a blessing it was to have such an extraordinarily wonderful man living with me for almost 51 years. But I wanted more.........more..........more......so much more time. So sometimes I just..........can't......stand......it.
I'm dealing with it........badly perhaps........but I'm doing the best I can. Everyone says ...... TIME. It's going to take a lot of time, a whole lot of time for me.........if ever.
Copyright © 2017, Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved
The void is huge. The realization overtakes me and it's like a blow to the head and I cry out at the top of my lungs. The tears are copious and I sometimes have to struggle to breathe. Too often it happens while I'm driving. That's not a good thing although I haven't had to pull over to the side of the road yet. When it happens in the house, I scare the hell out of the doggies. But then they 'scooch' over to me and bury their heads in my chest. That calms me down. They are a lifeline for me.
I can go through some days in a fairly normal manner with just a few outbreaks of sadness. Then there are those other days. I suppose my road is not really different from the road others have taken in this situation.....and I understand that. But I hate it, I just hate it.
These are strong feelings that get to me but I allow them to wash over me because if I don't I'll explode.
I haven't forgotten to laugh, though. Friends call fairly often and there's always something to chuckle about in these conversations, especially when they bring up Warren's puns! And when they do, I picture his beautiful smile, his laughter and the twinkle in his eye.
I keep thinking what a blessing it was to have such an extraordinarily wonderful man living with me for almost 51 years. But I wanted more.........more..........more......so much more time. So sometimes I just..........can't......stand......it.
I'm dealing with it........badly perhaps........but I'm doing the best I can. Everyone says ...... TIME. It's going to take a lot of time, a whole lot of time for me.........if ever.
Copyright © 2017, Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved
Friday, September 8, 2017
Some random observations
Sadness plays games with me. Sometimes it really shows its face and sometimes it's pretty well hidden, lurking under the surface but it's always there. I'm thinking it will never really go away. The mantra running through my mind is that I will never get over losing my Beloved but I'll learn how to live with it. It's the act of learning that is so damn difficult.
Some days are better than others. I can go about three hours without being brought up short with a flood of memories rushing through my mind. Sometimes those memories are comforting and sometimes they fill me with anguish. I try really hard to concentrate on the wonderful and funny memories and when I do, I can hear him chuckling and reminiscing with me.
I don't feel comfortable like I did before. His arms are no longer around me and I remember how much he made me feel calm and comforted in times of stress or worry. So now I worry on my own and it's a little like walking on 12 foot high stilts through a gravel pit!
I look around the house and see all the 'stuff' we collected, all the things that made the house uniquely ours. Now, the only things I treasure are the photos, the thousands of photos. And the doggies, my constant, loving companions.
I used to love to drive. I don't much like it anymore because he's not there. We were such a team, always going places together, conversing about a variety of things and laughing as we traveled. I was a captive to his constant punning and no matter how many times I heard those puns, I always ended up giggling.
I'm still talking to him every day. The words just pop out of my mouth. I discuss sports: the Red Sox and the Phoenix Mercury and how they're doing. Now it's football season and I'll wrap myself in his Patriots blanket as I watch the games and I'll hear him dissect the plays every once in a while. The one saving grace is when I talk to him, it's in private. Public muttering to oneself is probably frowned on!
My days of being busy with finishing up estate details and all that that entails are winding down. Each step of the way, I asked him if I was making the right decisions. I could hear him, in my mind, affirming those decisions. I guess that comes with how closely we worked together in the office. I learned a thing or two from the best.
Family has been extremely important during this nightmare. They are the glue that has held me together. What I find a bit amazing is the continuing contact from friends through emails and telephone calls. People actually are still checking in with me to see how I am, touching base with me. I'm very grateful for this and delight in these calls and emails.
Life goes on, as they say, but it's a different life. My Beloved may not be physically here, but he's always with me in my heart, in my mind and sometimes there is a tangible reminder that he's sticking around. And that's a good thing.
Copyright © 2017, Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved
Some days are better than others. I can go about three hours without being brought up short with a flood of memories rushing through my mind. Sometimes those memories are comforting and sometimes they fill me with anguish. I try really hard to concentrate on the wonderful and funny memories and when I do, I can hear him chuckling and reminiscing with me.
I don't feel comfortable like I did before. His arms are no longer around me and I remember how much he made me feel calm and comforted in times of stress or worry. So now I worry on my own and it's a little like walking on 12 foot high stilts through a gravel pit!
I look around the house and see all the 'stuff' we collected, all the things that made the house uniquely ours. Now, the only things I treasure are the photos, the thousands of photos. And the doggies, my constant, loving companions.
I used to love to drive. I don't much like it anymore because he's not there. We were such a team, always going places together, conversing about a variety of things and laughing as we traveled. I was a captive to his constant punning and no matter how many times I heard those puns, I always ended up giggling.
I'm still talking to him every day. The words just pop out of my mouth. I discuss sports: the Red Sox and the Phoenix Mercury and how they're doing. Now it's football season and I'll wrap myself in his Patriots blanket as I watch the games and I'll hear him dissect the plays every once in a while. The one saving grace is when I talk to him, it's in private. Public muttering to oneself is probably frowned on!
My days of being busy with finishing up estate details and all that that entails are winding down. Each step of the way, I asked him if I was making the right decisions. I could hear him, in my mind, affirming those decisions. I guess that comes with how closely we worked together in the office. I learned a thing or two from the best.
Family has been extremely important during this nightmare. They are the glue that has held me together. What I find a bit amazing is the continuing contact from friends through emails and telephone calls. People actually are still checking in with me to see how I am, touching base with me. I'm very grateful for this and delight in these calls and emails.
Life goes on, as they say, but it's a different life. My Beloved may not be physically here, but he's always with me in my heart, in my mind and sometimes there is a tangible reminder that he's sticking around. And that's a good thing.
Copyright © 2017, Reisa Sterling Miller. All Rights Reserved
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