A Reluctant Widow’s Grateful Journey

By Paula Meyer

RELATIONAL HEALTH FOR WIDOWS

I became a widow on June 1, 2018, at age 54. I knew it was coming. My husband Gary, 62, was winding down a courageous battle with throat cancer, yet his death was still a shock. I hadn’t planned for this. I assumed we would live into a long retirement with travel, grandchildren, and good times. We did do some traveling while Gary was still able. We didn’t have grandchildren yet, so if my children grace me with any, I’ll be a grandma without a grandpa. And good times? Well, life is rough when you lose your partner of 21 years. Two days after Gary died, my children’s father (my ex-husband Brad) died unexpectedly. We had time to say goodbye to Gary, but not to Brad.

Gary was no stranger to major health challenges. In the ‘80s, he broke his back and had stainless steel rods implanted in his spine. He embarked on a healing adventure and met many healers along the way. In the end, he healed his back and had the rods removed. When we met years later, I was amazed b…