Someone was talking today and saying how brave I was, I know that the lady meant it as a compliment and I thanked her for that….however, I then started to think about being brave?Isn’t brave when you know the risk and still find the courage to do it? When you suffer a bereavement you don’t choose that, in fact courage is in quite short supply in my experience at the point of losing the person you love.I came to the conclusion that widows and widowers need to dig deep and find the courage to face the world, to not give in …read more

Courage to face life, the loneliness, the future on your own is something that widows and widowers all need and I know that my courage has been shaky at times. I have written down near my mirror something that my Nana told me and maybe it will help you this weekend
“Courage is not something you can get from others, courage comes from within. Just look inside,  it is there waiting for you to come and embrace it. Courage just needs you to ask….and then for you to embrace it”
 
[istockphoto]

One of our readers Frank Burns left an in depth comment to the post The Widows Quest Grief Recipe which I wanted to share with you, in case you don’t read all of the comments. (There are some great conversations that may help you by the way!) I want to thank Frank for taking the time and sharing some wonderful words on grief. Here is his comment
“Grieving is all a part of what we’re supposed to do when tragedy strikes. It is a part of our being human that triggers this response.How we cope is not entirely left to us …read more

I feel that courage is something that we need to find during our grief process. Widows and widowers are faced with such a massive gap, massive changes to their lives. Courage is needed to face

Life without their partner
Dealing with the parts of life that you partner would have dealt with
Going out on your own
To believe in the goodness of life

Learning and trusting to love again

Courage is often used in a military context and that makes sense to me as they also face that life and death context. Prior to losing someone we can feel immortal that life is so good …read more

Thank you so much for the comments about this feeling of fear that I have….it meant the world to me. I loved Linda’s comment
“Courage is not the absence of fear–but the belief that something is more important than the fear.”
I have always felt that I am a courageous person. I think that is why I am struggling at the moment. In effect, I am not used to feeling fear therefore I am lost. I want to talk to someone and thinking of going to see my doctor. If I am honest I think this fear is linked to the fear …read more

I saw this quote when I was shopping in Whole Foods yesterday, it is accredited to Mary Anne Radmacher
 ”Courage does not always roar,
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice
At the end of the day
Saying “I will try again tomorrow”   
I think those 4 lines sum up the courage we need each day as we fight our grief, fight our loss, fight that desire to give up and walk away. But lets all remember to …try again tomorrow.