Widowcoach

Good Morning WidTribe and family/friends!

On a trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden, I spotted these blue flowers and I loved the color.

Here's your dose of nature to start things off in a good light....make it a peaceful day!

Hugs, The Widow Coach

Hi WidTribe and family/friends,

Here are some additional virtual "hang out" ideas for you if you want to just chill with friends online or if you are trying to manage your social contacts. The list is from www.housebeautiful.com!

TIP: Some of these also work with friends/family who are located in another state.

Hugs, The Widow Coach



https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/fun-at-home/a32250895/virtual-hang-out-ideas/?fbclid=IwAR1mD2kmJ7elajHNZ-MFEsbeu-T-Uj4pzkemkq2GQkYBp-ukKZmFD6-VbAk

12 Virtual Hang-Out Ideas for Keeping Up With Friends While Isolating How to fight loneliness—even when you're physically alone.

Hi WidTribe and friends/family,

Do you need some ideas about how to keep things safe when you have businesses come to help out at the house? Even aside from situations like COVID-19, sometimes we need to care for a family member or ourselves with some extra caution.

Here are some tips, thanks to CNN.

Hugs, the Widow Coach



https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/29/success/hiring-in-home-service-providers-coronavirus-working-safe/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0iGb2MSp9NWUENwJnaOUE58h0buIeITTSh6FZXdPwYrRsiAL71-LpOXf0

Need a plumber or babysitter to come to your home? Here’s how to keep everyone safe | CNN Business How to have someone work in your home safely is paramount for both you and the service provider.

Hi WidTribe and family/friends,

Volunteering can be an important part of your healing and re-engaging in the world. You can volunteer with people (or quietly work on a task), help from home or go to a place to help, use your skills or learn something new, or just try out helping in an area you are curious about.

Want to know how you can help? Widow Tribe, most states have a website or location that lists areas you can help.

In Illinois, you can check volunteer opportunities at the link below. Chances are that your state county or town has a way to help.

Hugs, The Widow Coach



https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/serve/Pages/default.aspx

Good Morning Widow Family!

Here's a picture to brighten your day from the Chicago Botanic Garden! it looked almost like a Christmas bouquet with the roses growing up against the hedge.

What's your favorite flower for a special occasion?

Make it a peaceful day!

Hugs, The Widow Coach

Good Morning Widow Family!

Here's a picture to brighten your day from the Chicago Botanic Garden! This one looked like a leopard with all the spots.

Make it a peaceful day!

Hugs, The Widow Coach

Good Morning WidTribe!

Here's a picture to brighten your day from the Chicago Botanic Garden!

Make it a peaceful day!

Hugs, The Widow Coach

Hi WidTribe and family/friends,

Are you looking for some fitness ideas to get fit at tome? Well, here's a post from the pandemic time on fitness equipment from the folks at Huffington Post.

As a reminder, please consult a medical professional before starting any exercise program. Take care of YOU!!

Happy reading!

Hugs, the Widow Coach

post

All The Best Workout Gear We Bought In Lockdown (That Isn't A Peloton) Here's what HuffPosters are relying on to stay fit while gyms are closed.

Hi Widow family and friends,

Sleep is one of the best things we can to do help with our long-term health-and it is one of the things that can be most disrupted by the process of grieving for a spouse.

Here are some tips from the team at NPR to help you work on some bedtime rituals to help yo sleep better.

What works for you when it comes to sleep? I like a lavender spray on my pillow and a firm cuttoff from electronics ad few hours before bedtime!

Hugs, the Widow Coach

Sleep better with these bedtime rituals : Life Kit How do you get a good night's sleep? Many of us have routines we use to try to reach that blissful state of slumber — from meditation to melatonin to putting on a pair of socks. Sleep scientists weigh in on which sleep rituals actually work.

Hi WidTribe and Family/Friends,

Tip for the Day: Virtual museum tours! Google Arts and Culture has partnered with over 1200 museums worldwide to offer virtual reality tours.

Use this opportunity to connect and explore and escape into something that interests you, even if you are confined to your home by grief or simply don't want to venture out.

Let's sprinkle this resource into our communities to help our fellow widows, widowers and community!

Have another virtual tour? Enjoyed one of these? Comment and share your link!

Hugs, the Widow Coach

Virtual reality tours - Google Arts & Culture Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

Hi WidTribe and family/friends,

Want a new idea for science experiments with the kids? New ideas/activities for story time? Never fear, NASA is here! There's a link to some experiments you can do with your kids.

Explore the links below.

Story Time From Space: In-Orbit Readings and Science to Encourage STEM “Welcome to the International Space Station,” said NASA astronaut and microbiologist Kate Rubins as she welcomed students to the orbiting laboratory – or library – for a reading of “Rosie Revere, Engineer” during an Expedition 49 Story Time From Space.

Hi WidTribe and family/friends,

It's TIP TIME: This time how to deal with those pesky donations that might have been piling up during grief and just plain old life in general?

Well, Goodwill will let you ship donations for free! If they are not your preferred partner to support, then get on the phone to your local Chamber of Commerce-some non-profits are offering free pickup, so you can simply leave boxes by your garage door and they will come get them.

Alternatively, you can explore "drive-up" options where you fill the back of your car or a friend's car and they will unload for you at the drive up window. Just make sure that you consult with you tax adviser (or the IRS website) to understand tax deductions if that is of interest to you.

Check out donations information from www.krazycouponlady.com at the link below.

Hugs, the Widow Coach



https://thekrazycouponlady.com/tips/money/this-site-lets-you-donate-to-goodwill-by-mailing-boxes-for-free?fbclid=IwAR0V5ALdM9i1-aF-ZeTKDzF4ZmkRIZp5G6IRN5VvtuzD3UKrBdbrodcJCTs

Hi WidTribe and family/friends,

Often, widowhood forces us to change working patterns. Sometimes you try to master the art of working from home with kids around.

Here are five tips from the team at Huff Post about working from home with kids.

Hugs, the Widow Coach

5 Enduring Lessons We've Learned About How To WFH With Kids Around Now that we’ve mastered conference calls with children hanging off of us, these remote working insights will prove valuable well beyond lockdown.

Hi Widow Tribe,

Bookworms-this link is for YOU! Did you know that you can get access to FREE books?

Many authors give electronic copies of their books away, and you can get FREE digital copies of books. Freebooksy is just one of these sites. Pick your genre(s) and get reading!

Hugs, the Widow Coach



www.freebooksy.com!

Free Amazon Kindle Books, Nook Books, Apple Books & Kobo Books Want daily free books in your favorite genres? Free ebooks for Amazon Kindle, Nook, Apple Books & Kobo. Get started today!

Hi WidTribe and friends/family,

Are you going "stir crazy" this week? Maybe you're an introvert who wants to chill at home at the moment. Soo....time to check out some podcasts to chill to!

Here's a list of podcasts that have a relaxing vibe for you!

What is a favorite podcast? Add YOUR favorite recommendation in the comments!

Hugs, The Widow Coach



https://www.wbez.org/stories/introverts-guide-to-the-good-life-podcasts-to-cool-your-jets/7e40f26e-de4b-4622-84b9-5f40732fedb8?fbclid=IwAR0l9o4UrsMLWv5A8J7aMS0XcBSpmmHumnTSqTvMiznHH-2rtDGYhenZP0Q

Introvert’s Guide To The Good Life: Podcasts To Cool Your Jets From meditation to cooking to the sound of a person taking a nature hike for 40 minutes, here is a list of podcasts to help you relax.

Hi WidTribe, family and friends,

Are you job-hunting? The use of technology has ensured that some video interviewing is here to stay, I bet. Here are some tips for how to prepare for and ace a virtual/video job interview.

Good luck! You've got this!

Hugs, The Widow Coach



https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/success/video-job-interview/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1tTwTr3U0e3_vz_P5Wv7dQcu5R2DXCcbkejL1_euK-ZVv6ArTw2t1SWm0

5 tips for acing a virtual job interview | CNN Business Job interviews are nerve-wracking enough, but now that so many companies are working remotely they’re happening on a computer screen. That brings additional layers of unease – tech issues, unexpected cameos from family members and the awkwardness of figuring out whose turn it is to speak.

Hi WidTribe,

After an absolutely crazy week, it's time for a check-in with all of you!

Did you find useful resources here that helped you (or will help you) with at least one thing to manage your life?

What do you need more of: resources, sanctuary, inspiration? Is there something not shared here you need at the moment (we can go ahead and research that).

Add your thoughts below or send us a message with a question and we can check into it.

We are all in this together!!

Hugs, the Widow Coach!

Good morning Widow Tribe!

Your relaxing link as we start this morning is thanks to the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle.

Remember, spending time in nature helps us all stay positive, whether it is a walk around the block (keep social distancing in mind) in a yards, with our houseplants, or just getting some positive calming images online.

Let's sprinkle this in our communities to help our neighbors!

Follow their Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/vpconservatory/) because they are streaming relaxing plants to help us all relax.

Thanks to Volunteer Park Conservatory (https://www.volunteerparkconservatory.org) for doing this!

Hugs, the Widow Coach!



https://www.volunteerparkconservatory.org/news

Volunteer Park Conservatory Volunteer Park ConservatorySeattle's historic greenhouse in Volunteer Park. Share Volunteer Park Conservatory and support Friends of the ConservatoryYour contributions help us connect people with horticulture at the Volunteer Park Conservatory, enhance the visitor experience, preserve the historic s...

Hi Widow Family and friends,

Are you struggling with sleep? One solution you might consider evaluating if it fits in your budget is a white noise machine. Some of my clients love them, others don't think they work.

CNN does a pretty good job explaining them in the article below.

Hugs, the Widow Coach

Electronics and Gadgets | CNN Underscored CNN Underscored is your trusted source for the latest electronics trends, how-to’s, and product reviews.

Gooood Morning Widow Tribe!

Today on our adventures, we are going to get a bit "spacey". If you like photography or even just colorful pictures, NASA is your virtual destination! They have made their ENTIRE media library (including some incredible pictures!) available to us copyright free. So you can feel free to take yourself, your family or your kids on a journey to space.

Let's sprinkle this in our communities to give others access to this information and help them see the wonder. Have a favorite photo? Post it in the comments!

Thanks to Darlene Forman for sharing this terrific link from www.diyphotography.net and to the great folks at NASA for doing this!

Hugs, The Widow Coach



https://www.diyphotography.net/nasa-makes-entire-media-li…/…

DIYPhotography – Your one stop shop for everything photo and video DIY Photography – Your one stop shop for everything photo-video Inspiration View All Reviews View All Tradeshows View All Contests View All

Hi WidTribe and family/friends,

Many widowed people deal with increased medical bills, either for us or for our family members we are caring for as a result of the stress associated with the death of a spouse (and often a parent).

Here's some information in an article from NPR on how to approach it. As always, you should vet any information you read or consume with your relevant advisers.

Hugs, the Widow Coach

Getting Out Of Medical Debt Can Feel Impossible. Here's How To Do It : Life Kit One in five Americans struggles with medical bills. The secret is that there's something you can do about it — you just have to know where to look and how to ask.

Hi Widowed Tribe and friends,

Okay, are you going stir-crazy with the kids yet because the weather is keeping you stuck inside due to rain? snow? heat? sickness? Here's a blog post from Thriftbooks (www.thriftbooks.com) that will give you ideas and a few book resources. Remember, you can buy the books or take them out virtually via your local public library if they have access.



https://www.thriftbooks.com/…/stuck-at-home-activities-for…/

On National Widows Day, I feel it’s important to say some things to explode a few myths out there, especially with the 10th anniversary of John’s death last week. This is going to be more direct and less tactful than my typical posts.

This is for YOU. Our Friends. People who know us a little bit. For the first time you encounter a widow, or the one you see around town.

I’m saying this because you want to help and you don’t know how. Because you can’t understand this life until you live it.

The truth is that widowhood is a raw, bare knuckle battle at times. The newly-widowed won’t tell you this, so it falls to me.

Read on, and learn.

It is my right:

-To Honor the impact John had on my life, sometimes publicly, sometimes privately. Both are okay and, no, you don’t get to judge the depth of my love or my grief if I do either of those things. The fact that I post publicly is not an indicator that I’m “not in a good place” or am “stuck” in my grief. I miss him in different ways as the years go by but that doesn’t mean that I’m “stuck. Even at 10 years.

-To Fall In Love again without having to justify my actions to anyone. Grief changed me Irrevocably, I can never go back to the exact person I was who was when I was in love with him. Likewise, the new person transformed by grief is equally capable of holding that love and sharing an equally deep and passionate love with someone else. There is no conflict or competition. It is EVERY widow’s right to choose to marry, to pick an unmarried committed partnership or to remain single. Our society PUNISHES remarriage in the Social Security system, pensions, survivor benefits etc. You have no idea the choices that are forced on people, so be kind.

-To NOT have to PROVE my grief through public actions. Dealing with grief is as individual as a snowflake. Ask, don’t judge.

-To Talk about him to keep his memory alive for Collin and Lena.Both of them deserve my memories (and yours) of their dad. They need to know the kind of person he was, so share that with them.

-To Tell you about the lifelong impacts of widowhood. Things need to change…starting with how we treat the grieving. Real help for the people that you know that have lost their spouse starts before the funeral and extends beyond the casserole. I’ve been fortunate….but many haven’t.

-To Advocate for my children and what they need. The impacts of joining the Dead Parent Club are brutal and lifelong. He won’t be at ball games or prom or teaching them to drive, high school or college graduations, or weddings.

-To Support my children to choose their paths in life in a way that is appropriate for them. Stay supportive, step up or shut up. You have no idea what it’s like to parent as the ONLY parent OR the battles we fight when we have no more energy left.

-To Support my children if they need to step back from something before they step forward, and to stop any adult who tells them to “get over it”. Performing publicly by doing expected things is not proof that they’re doing well….dealing with grief is proof that they’re doing well.

-To Get really angry when I see widows and widowers dismissed with “You’re so strong”. Widows and widowers don’t have this strength-we CREATE it because we have NO CHOICE. Stop admiring from afar- show up to help.

-To Call Out moments when I see people thinking thaf grief is something to “get over.” It’s not a race or a journey with a goal line. Grief is a forge that burns away the person you were, a hurricane that flattens your life to the crumbled foundation and you have to rebuild from a place of knee-buckling, soul-destroying pain.

-To Remind you that there are MEN and WOMEN Who lose their spouse…too often MEN are forgotten in the widow discussion.

-To Remind you that every spouse is a loss to their family, too. Mothers, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters grieve too.

-To Tell you that normal rules don’t apply when it comes to helping widowed people. Call them. Call them again. Bring that casserole, not in the first weeks, but six months in when all they hear are crickets. Most times we can’t even remember what day it was and lose weeks at a time. Spend less time judging the state of their house and more time helping them organize it. Invite them to your parties.
Invite them to Mother’s Day or Fathers Day brunch. Invite them to the barbecue, to lunch. If they decline or forget do it AGAIN. Don’t take it personally no matter how many times I decline. It’s grief, not you.

-Take an interest in their kids… I would’ve given anything if someone had taught Collin some of the dad skills that I had to.

We are moving forward… And still looking back. And that’s OK. But part of my mission is not just to help the widowed but to help YOU understand the widowed.

Hugs,

Maggie
The Widow Coach

If you’re widowed and this speaks to you, *share* it. It is time to end themisunderstandings that cause us hurt.

Learn more at www.thewidowcoach.com and sign up for my newsletter with tips for the widowed and those that love and serve them.

This is why National Widow's Day matters:
National Widow's Day is May 3
Did you know... 800,000 people are widowed each year?
Did you know… 700,000 of those are women?
Did you know… most widows live in poverty? (Over 115 million world wide)
Did you know… “death of a spouse” is listed as the #1 stressor on the stress index scale and is considered one of life’s most devastating events?
Did you know… 60% of those who lose a spouse or significant other will experience a serious illness within 12 months?
Did you know… insomnia is one of the most common symptoms for a grieving spouse?
Did you know… most widow(er)s lose 75% of their support base when their spouse dies?
Did you know… after 3 – 4 months most of the remaining support fades for a widow(er)?
Did you know… most widow(er)s lose touch with their in-laws, spouses family that they considered family as well, within a year of a loss?
Did you know… it really is possible to die of a broken heart? Widow(er)s have a 30% elevated risk of death in the first 6 months after their spouse death.
Be nice to a widow(er) today, you have no idea what they deal with privately.
(**Share*** this to your communities and you can raise awareness).

Learn more at www.thewidowcoach.com

Hi WidTribe and family/friends,

Here's a good reminder that the time to date is NOT when you're lonely. This is a particular challenge for widows and widowers, because loneliness is a huge part of the grief process when a partner has died.

But the truth is, dating when you're lonely can be full of challenges. There are dangers to dating when you're lonely-you might become easier prey to a romance scammer or settle for someone who is ultimately, not the right fit or good for you in the long run.

Even if you date without experiencing that, you can run into a situation where you create an imbalanced set of expectations, where you unconsciously expect the relationship to "cure" your loneliness.

The truth is, you cure your loneliness by acknowledging and recovering from grief, creating a full life. Then you look to see if someone is the right fit and worthy to share that life with you.

Happy reading!

Hugs, the Widow Coach

Warning! Don't Date Online When You're Lonely It's tempting... but online dating will only make your loneliness worse.

Hi WidTribe and friends,

Panic. Anxiety. They all accompany grief and make it hard to think. I call it the "brain hijack" and it's a reality when you are grieving and stressing out. You're not crazy. This is a biological reaction to the fact that stress has decreased your ability to regulate emotions-but there are things to do about it.

While this article is targeted toward coronavirus, the tips and techniques might also be helpful for you as you deal with the anxiety associated with grief.

Hugs, The Widow Coach

Coronavirus Panic: How To Get Your Thinking Brain Back Online : Life Kit Shame spirals, toilet paper panic and bingeing on news — it's easy to worry, but harder to stop. Psychiatrist Judson Brewer explains why panic can be as contagious as a virus and shares simple ways to recenter yourself when you get carried away by anxious thoughts.

Hi WidTribe and family/friends,

Your resource for today is a family activity to get everyone into! The MemoryWell Company offers a FREE interactive and digital timeline for family members collaborate together.

You can preserve a person’s life through sharing videos, pictures, audio, letters, and notes. This works for both current and those family members who have passed away. (Note, they also offer a paid service to write a life story).

So, if you are looking for the family project to work on, here's an idea! Tell them The Widow Coach sent you. :-)

Hugs, the Widow Coach

Families — MemoryWell Your life story is worth sharing. Let us write your story.A trained interviewer will guide you through the major moments in your (or your loved one's) life and craft a beautifully written narrative that will be published on our private web site where it can be shared with friends and family. It will...

Hi Widow family and friends,

Are you looking to learn how or sharpen (yes, I can HEAR you all groaning) your cooking skills? Maybe learn how to cook something new?

Your link for this post is the You Tube video channel from Publix supermarkets.

What do you like to cook? What WOULD you like to cook? Comment below!

Hugs, the Widow Coach

Publix - YouTube Welcome to Publix’s YouTube channel, where you can find inspiration on what to cook and how to shop, save, celebrate, and entertain. Subscribe so you don’t m...