My view of the world was divided into events that occurred before and after February 7, 2014. Within a blink of an eye, I went from a wife to a widow and all that came with that. An unknown force had broken my life into pieces and seemed to erase my dreams and plans for the future. I was blessed to be on YL staff surrounded by friends, family and coworkers who did their best to support me as I found my balance in this new world of widowhood. I experienced the good, the bad and the ugly during my journey and as I emerged from the shock of it all I began to understand that most people truly wanted to be helpful but just didn’t have the understanding of what a widow needed. So, I began my quest to see how I could use my experience with loss and healing to help other widows within my YL family to heal and live a life of joy, hope and purpose again along with the pain.
We have found that there are approximately 4,000 widows connected to the Young Life family, each one with different experiences and needs. Children of widows (18 and under) constitute over half a billion people worldwide, so we know not only are there widows hurting but teenagers too. One of our plans is to offer YL staff and leaders some resources to learn how best to serve widows and their teenagers during such significant loss.
Inviting you:
- See our new web page HERE sharing our vision and beginning resources for widows.
- We are hosting conversations where widows can connect with other widows in a supportive and helpful way, as well as receive encouragement on topics such as self-care, finding life’s new rhythms, and some practicals like financial transitions and decisions. Our first one will be Thursday, May 13th at 6:00 pm Central Time. If you would like to receive more information on this or find out how to participate, please click HERE.
- We plan to gather for retreats one to two times a year to enjoy a safe place for rest, renewal, learning, and sharing with other widows. Stay tuned!
- We’d love to hear any comments, questions or ideas you might have by using this form, or if you would just like to share a little of your story.
