I lost my husband April 2010, it seems like yesterday. We were married in las vegas 16 yrs ago. We would frequent Las Vegas for memory sake. I was lucky to go the month before he died. I am so lost. There isnt a day goes by i cry, think of him or pray he hears me. People tell me its time to move on. I cant! I have never met a person who i can relate to so much and have so much in common. We would even sit and watch the three stooges together. We both loved humor immensely. He was a terrific singer in a rock band since he was 17. He was 55 when he passed. Im blessed to have some of his music on cd's., and a couple of Vhs tapes to watch him perform. I dont know what more to say on here. It was a sudden death, cutting the grass and a heart attack. I felt helpless trying to save him, it didnt work. Somehow i blame myself why i couldnt save him. I just miss him so much. Its very lonely, even though i have my adult son living with me, its not the same of cuddling at night or special times with each other. I know i should probably go seek some kind of support group, but i dont have the energy or will to go. How can i be in denial for so long? Thanks for listening

Coping With Grief “All his [Jacob’s] sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. ‘No,’ he said, ‘in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son.’ So his father wept for him.”�"GENESIS 37:35, The Holy Bible�"New International Version. THE patriarch Jacob grieved deeply over the loss of his son. He expected to grieve until the day he died. Like Jacob, you may feel that the pain of losing a loved one is so deep that it will never go away. Does such intense grief necessarily indicate a lack of faith in God? Definitely not! The Bible portrays Jacob as a man of faith. Along with his grandfather Abraham and his father, Isaac, Jacob is commended for his outstanding faith. (Hebrews 11:8, 9, 13) Why, on one occasion, he even wrestled all night with an angel to get a blessing from God! (Genesis 32:24-30) Evidently, Jacob was a deeply spiritual man. What, then, can we learn from Jacob’s grief? Deep feelings of grief and sorrow when a loved one dies are not incompatible with strong faith in God. Grief is the normal and natural response to the loss of someone we love. What Is Grief? Grief can affect us in various ways, but for many the overriding feeling is one of intense emotional pain. Consider the experience of Leonardo, who was 14 years old when his father suddenly died from cardiorespiratory problems. Leonardo will never forget the day his aunt broke the news to him. At first, he refused to believe that it was true. He saw his father’s body at the funeral, but it all seemed strangely unreal. For about six months, Leonardo was unable to cry. Often, he found himself waiting for his father to come home from work. It took about a year before the full impact of the loss sank in. When it did, he felt terribly alone. Ordinary things�"such as coming home to an empty house�"reminded him of his father’s absence. At such times, he often broke down and cried. How he missed his father! As Leonardo’s experience well illustrates, grief can be intense. The good news is that recovery is possible. However, it may take some time. Just as a severe physical wound takes time to heal, so it is with bereavement. Recovering from grief may take months, a few years, or even longer. But the acute pain you feel in the beginning will lessen in time, and life will gradually seem less bleak and meaningless. In the meantime, grief is said to be a necessary part of the healing process and of learning to adapt to the new situation. There is an empty space where before there was a living human. We need to adjust to life without that person. Grief may provide a necessary emotional release. Of course, not everyone grieves in exactly the same way. One thing, though, seems to hold true: Repressing your grief can be harmful mentally, emotionally, and physically. How, then, can you express your grief in healthy ways? The Bible contains some practical advice. Coping With Grief Talking about your feelings can bring a measure of relief Many bereaved ones have found that talking can be a helpful release. Notice, for example, the words of the Bible character Job, who suffered the loss of all ten of his children and endured other tragedies. He said: “My soul certainly feels a loathing toward my life. I will give vent to my concern about myself. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul!” (Job 1:2, 18, 19; 10:1) Notice that Job needed to “give vent” to his concerns. How would he do so? “I will speak,” he explained. Paulo, who lost his mother, says: “One of the things that has helped me is to talk about my mother.” So talking about your feelings to a trusted friend can bring a measure of relief. (Proverbs 17:17) After losing her mother, Yone asked her Christian brothers to visit her more often. “Talking helped to ease the pain,” she recalls. You too may find that putting your feelings into words and sharing them with a sympathetic listener will make it easier to deal with them. Writing can be helpful in expressing grief Writing can also be a helpful release. Some who find it difficult to talk about their feelings may find it easier to express themselves in writing. Following the death of Saul and Jonathan, the faithful man David wrote a deeply mournful song in which he poured out his sorrow. This emotional dirge eventually became part of the Bible book of Second Samuel.�"2 Samuel 1:17-27. Reading about the resurrection hope can be a real source of comfort Crying may also serve as an emotional release. “For everything there is an appointed time, even . . . a time to weep,” says the Bible. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4) To be sure, the death of someone we love is “a time to weep.” Tears of grief are nothing to be embarrassed about. The Bible contains many examples of faithful men and women who openly expressed their grief by weeping. (Genesis 23:2; 2 Samuel 1:11, 12) Jesus Christ “gave way to tears” when he neared the tomb of his dear friend Lazarus, who had recently died.�"John 11:33, 35. Working through grief takes patience, for you may feel that you are on an emotional roller coaster. Remember that you do not have to be ashamed of your tears. Many faithful individuals have found that shedding tears of grief is a normal and necessary part of the healing process. Draw Close to God The Bible tells us: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.” (James 4:8) One of the principal ways to draw close to God is through prayer. Do not underestimate its value! The Bible makes this comforting promise: “Jehovah is near to those that are broken at heart; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.” (Psalm 34:18) It also assures us: “Throw your burden upon Jehovah himself, and he himself will sustain you.” (Psalm 55:22) Think about this. As we noted earlier, many have found it helpful to talk about their feelings with a trusted friend. Would it not be even more helpful to pour out your feelings to the God who promises to comfort our hearts?�"2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17. Paulo, who was mentioned earlier, commented: “When I just couldn’t endure the pain anymore and felt that I could not cope, I would get down on my knees and pray to God. I begged him to help me.” Paulo is convinced that his prayers made a difference. You too may find that in response to your persistent prayers, “the God of all comfort” will give you the courage and the strength to cope.�"2 Corinthians 1:3, 4; Romans 12:12. Here is a link that might be useful: Watchtower: Coping with Grief

I suddenly lost my husband 7 wks ago after 34 yrs of marriage. He just retired after 30 yrs at a job he hated and was finally doing something he loved. We had all kinds of dreams and we had just started to enjoy them, now I have to make new dreams for myself without him and I don't like it. I cry all of the time, and I have learned to stay away from people so I don't have to deal with their thoughtlessness. Unfortunately they mean well but because they haven't been through what we are going through they have no idea what will comfort us. Though nothing comforts us at this time. I'm not going to tell you that it will get better, I "hate" it when people tell me this because right now I can't think about tomorrow. Take one day at a time, don't think about tomorrow it will come soon enough and you can deal with it then. You just lost your husband, you need to take care of yourself and cry, cry, cry and then cry somemore. It may not seem as though it is helping but 5 weeks from now it will. You will have your good moments and your bad moments, and your bad moments will be more often then the good ones. This is normal for someone grieving a loved one. I have been reading books on grief written by professionals who have experienced a loss of a spouse and they have helped me to realize all of the emotions I am feeling and going through are normal...as normal can be. Please take care of yourself and hug your children whenever you need him because he is in them. Keep 'blogging' trust me it helps to put it into words. Hugs, Karen

I am so sorry to hear that your dad passed away. I know what your mother is going through and you are grieving too. You don't say if you are living with your mom or if she is on her own. Yes, she will go through, what I called my Jekle and Hyde times. I live alone so I can't take it out on anyone else. You mom has to work through this herself because no one else can do it for her. If she hasn't gone for grief counselling that is a very good option, it helped me a lot. I mentioned above that you are also going through your own grief and maybe you could mention that to her very gently. I have been widowed for 4 years next month and I can tell you that it gets easier but it never goes away, you and your mom have to cope with it in your own way. Be there for her and ask her to be there for you. God Bless. Mav