Since Fritz was in Hospice, I was offered s great deal of after care by the Hospice team. I knew that I wanted and needed a support group, and I knew that I would benefit from the seminar that was offered using the book JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF.

Within three weeks I joined an ongoing grief support group for women who had lost a spouse or significant other, and that was the wisest thing I did. I have rarely missed a weekly meeting in the 2 1/2 years since Fritz’s death, and I have made some wonderful friends. The love and support offered by that group is valuable beyond measure.

The grief seminar was offered a little over two months later, and I took that too. It was an initial eight week seminar followed by every other week for 16 weeks. It was a small group, and it took us through the pitfalls of the grief journey. It was a valuable experience, and more wonderful friends were made. In fact, we still get together monthly to touch base and talk.

However, even with those helpful tools, I struggled to find my new normal. Instead of reading the novel or so a week that I had done for most of my life, I started watching Hallmark movies for hours. It took me two and a half years to read a book all the way through. Even though I continued to be in my book club, I mostly read summaries of the books and tried to fake my way through the discussions. I probably didn’t fool anyone.

I’m not sure how I’m going to organize this blog, but it’s clear I need a plan. I will do that. I promise, I will be back in less that 2 years!