Salute

by | Mar 14, 2011 | 3 comments

Though I didn’t know a single one before my husband died, I have corresponded now with many young widows.

Some have endured traumatically watching their husbands die before their eyes.  One recently gave birth to a third child…by herself.  Many have their own blogs where they explore their own grief process- some do not.  Many have children of all ages- some two, three, twins.  They are doing their best to help their children grieve well while under this insufferable weight themselves.  They are working, not working, getting life insurance, making up wills, moving, staying, trying to keep their homes in order.

Not one was prepared for this loss.

Not one has any answers.

But each one is breathing and loving their children.

I wish I’d never met any of them.

They are not courageous by choice- this is what they have set before them.  I know they don’t like it when people tell them they’re “so strong,”

but oh my goodness…

they are.

In their weighted march
and under constant assault
in the kinship of their words
written late,
late
at night

I behold
a beauty
I have never seen
before.

JAC

March 14, 2011

3 Comments

  1. Jane Jasmine

    Moving, beautiful post, Julia… and as you've seen beauty in them, I see the beauty in the pain in you… it is not what you wanted either, no. but, thank you so much for sharing. You continue to be in our thoughts and prayers over here…

    Reply
  2. Brooke Simmons

    This is gorgeous…you have such a gift with words. Thinking of you and your own beauty in all of this.

    Reply
  3. Holley Gerth

    What a beautiful, powerful post. Thanks for comforting others even in the middle of your own loss.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like…

List-making in a Dark Time

List-making in a Dark Time

For any other list-makers out there, I published this on HerStories yesterday.""In this time of quarantine, my lists are offering me space outside of the walls of my home, a way of making sense of chaos, a self-imposed structure on structure-less days, and even a way...

Simple Things

Simple Things

"In our deepest self we keep living with the illusion that we will always be the same." Henri Nowen "It's really very simple," my late spiritual director, Gladys, once said to me. She was talking about how she lived each day, waking up, having a written conversation...

Continuous Living

Continuous Living

"Anxiety turns us toward courage, because the other alternative is despair." Paul Tillich I've claimed "seasonal affective disorder" for years, and that may be so, but I'm starting to realize it's not only summer to fall that is hard for me. It's winter to spring, and...