For the past six years, I have been quietly writing my thoughts at GrievingGardener.com. As a new widow, I found writing to be an outlet during the COVID quarantine. It became an elixir of voice and grief that helped me through the worst days.
In the beginning, almost every early morning found me writing my thoughts and hitting “send.” At first, I didn’t know how to add pictures or videos. I just knew I had a story to tell. In the wee hours of every day, I poured my heart out on the screen while Oliver slept at my feet.
I hoped at least one other widow might find comfort in my words. Slowly, my tribe formed. Some were so interested, they would contact me if I missed a day. Friendships grew as I found my path toward healing.
Some of my posts were raw and heartbreaking, while others were downright shocking. It didn’t matter. If I had something to say, I said it. This helped me find a way back to my true self.
Since I first held my pencil in kindergarten, I’ve been a writer. With so much to say and not always many people to listen, I made pen and paper my friends. A safe place free from judgment or interruption of thought. My very own wonderful playground of words.
Over the past four months, I’ve been gathering and arranging those words into book form.
What an adventure.
From the first thought of a book to the moment I clicked the button to request a proof copy, there were hundreds of decisions along the way. Writing. Revising. Formatting. Pictures. Page numbers. Covers. Blank pages. More corrections than I ever imagined could exist in a single book.
And now, it is real. Four hardbound books sit on the coffee table. Banded with “Not for Resale”, my name is on every one. Already, the cover isn’t exactly the right shade. There are minor corrections. The illustrations need adjusting. As they call out for help, as every proof does, they also confirm it. I am a published author.
Widow: A Journey Toward Life will be available for purchase on Amazon on November 11, 2026.
To say I’m proud of it is an understatement. To hold my own story in book form is an unbelievable feeling. But pride or money weren’t the driving force behind my need to write.
My true hope is that one person in grief will find something useful in these pages. One sentence could make a hard day easier. The reassurance that someone else understands might comfort an aching heart.
Am I a counselor? No. Is this book meant as therapy? No.
It’s my story to tell. And I’m telling it to anyone who wants to sit for a while to read it.
Because, if I made the journey to a better day, you can too.
Not all at once.
Just one step at a time.
Keep walking.
Keep believing.
Follow your heart.
Your own journey will take you where you need to be.
