🕯 A Place To Be With OTHERS Who Are Grieving! WE support each other.

[KimberlyM389662]

3.34 MB of 3.96 MB

[Winter2025VA]

THIS GROUP IS OPEN TO ALL GRIEVERS NO MATTER HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN [years,days].

To participate, click on reply button at bottom of this post. Enter your comment. Click on reply again.

Luv,

Nicole

[KimberlyM389662]

3.34 MB of 3.96 MB

[Winter2025VA]

Jonibee @jonibee , thank you for chatting. Sadly thanks to AARP we have lost members. Not sure IF Cadee @Cadee2719 will be back.

I am hoping Marcy @MarcyW882921 is just busy as usual.

Luv,

Nicole (Grief & Loss Forum)

[jonibee]

My heartfelt sympathy to those families of the members that have passed..May they rest in peace..

[MarcyW882921]

Yes, busy as usual. I had a performance over the weekend, attended one class today, and another one is scheduled for tomorrow.

Marcy

[Winter2025VA]

[2/11/25] Hi Marcy @MarcyW882921 , just so you know - Cadee @Cadee2719 sent me a PM = she has had it with AARP and NOT returning to group.

Girl, so sad AARP no longer CARES about people.

Thanks for stopping by. I plan to let group phase out, but will TREASURE an AWESOME 2024.

Lol, we all had such a good time here.

You have my email and mailing address to stay in contact.

Luv,

Nicole (Grief & Loss Forum)

[MarcyW882921]

to you Nicole, to the friends I have met on this forum, and for all the support I received on my journey! I am truly grateful.

Marcy

[Winter2025VA]

I MISS you and Sadie Julie @JulieT507376

[JulieT507376]

Hello Friends!

Sadie and I are staying busy with travels and friends visiting from Arizona and Canada!  This week more company from Minnesota.  I’m blessed my life is so busy.  I continue to fiercely miss Mark.  He is present in my every day.  I tried to post a photo of Sadie for everyone but for some reason the attachment button wasn’t there!  Maybe next time!  For now we are in two feet of snow and freezing -10 degrees F weather!  

[Winter2025VA]

GROUP DISCUSSION!!!

Any goals for 2025?

Me, continue to walk inside my Studio Apt EVERY DAY for an hour. Impressed my Medicare doctor was correct = pre-diabetes went bye bye. Of course the Low Carb Mediterrean diet she also suggested helped.

Continue to LEAVE my apt Mondays thru Thursdays EVERY WEEK. My mechanic said "retiring" my 2006 Hyundai Elantra when I did was killing the battery. I would ONLY drive it for weekly Walmart grocery trip, medical and gas. NOW it is a "challenge" to find somewhere "interesting" to go. But all this has really FILLED me up. Lol, cannot wait to checkout NEW places locally.

[mc6844]

Having goals is a good reminder of self-care. When we find activities that refresh our minds it helps us to move forward. Walking in place is great and beneficial. Those of us who are older may become more introspective. During loss we look to the physical world of people and places for direction and hope. Each life, however, has its own timetable. Doing just what we can for the day is helpful.

[Winter2025VA]

I AM THINKING OF YOU!!!

Julie @JulieT507376 and Sadie , Lisa @LisaJP6763, MC @mc6844, Susan @SusanR479241.

[mc6844]

Hi Nicole.  Hello and good wishes to all in the forum. Sometimes I don't know what's bothering me until I pinpoint it's a recurrence of grief. I realize now it doesn't really go away. It just needs a place to go.  I hope you are well, and I'm grateful for your devotion to this forum. Take care! 

[MarcyW882921]

It's nice to see mc, jonibee,Nicole, Julie, Kimberly, etc. 

Marcy

[Winter2025VA]

Well, well - look who stopped in to see us!!! OUR Bionic Marcy @MarcyW882921 .

Luv,

Nicole

[*** MARCY 

---

@MarcyW882921 wrote:

It's nice to see mc, jonibee,Nicole, Julie, Kimberly, etc. 

Marcy

---

[Winter2025VA]

Hi MC @mc6844 , so glad you stopped by to let us know how you are doing!!!

I am doing well my friend.

Luv,

Nicole

[mc6844]

Thank you Nicole for your kind thoughts. I hope you are well. And also everyone on the forum. May everyone find their peace for the day. 

[Winter2025VA]

Good Morning All!!!

How are you doing?

WE MADE IT THROUGH ANOTHER NIGHT.

Lol, some of us are feeling like a truck "ran" over us. Yes, another "rough" night. I actually slept last night for the 1st time in days. GRATEFUL.

Well, 2025 has certainly made up for all those  WINTERS we didnot get any MAJOR snow here in Cave Spring, Virginia.

And yours truly learn't her LESSON about my HILL last month. Have NEVER not been able to get up my hill. Still LEARNING about Winter after MOVING from Florida. Come on SPRING!!! We had some days in the 60's last week. Even CLEANED and waxed my car (handwash and waxed,my therapy).

Anyway TODAY I am getting ALL errands done and STAYING inside my Studio Apt tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday.

On the OTHER hand 2025 brought some GOOD NEWS.

So RELIEVED and I know she is too = daughter will NOT lose her Townhouse in Florida. Teased her about having 3 jobs instead of the 1 engineering job she use to have at L3Harris. Ironic I was pregnant with jer 38 years ago working for them in Florida. Back then they had NOT merged, was just Harris. Lived in Palm Bay, Florida and worked at Cape Canaveral. Yes, like my daughter - they lost a Government contract = major layoff. She was age 10 at the time. Melbourne where she was born and living has been hit really bad with these layoffs. Anyway, between her NEW jobs as an Al Tutor (working from home), part-time at Michaels (was seasonal last year,now regular part-timer) and maintaining a website for a non-profit (work from home) she is back on track.

Question for you guys. I have an OLD Samsumg Galaxy J3 my daughter had bought for me in 2018 (when she was finally able to pry my much loved Flip Phone out of my fingers). And YES, should have UPDATED like yesterday. But I have agreed that THIS DECEMBER I will. Guys, I hate phones, NEVER one to be on it. Anyway, any RECOMMENDATIONS on a replacement? Lol, getting OLDER we NEED to SEE stuff. I LUV my Galaxy J3 and had bought a battery last year when the ORIGINAL one had died. So here I am all "stressed" out TRYING to find my local T-Mobile location so they can REPLACE the battery. Lol, I am sure my already HIGH blood pressure was higher by the time I found it. GRATEFUL the two "youngsters" were NICE after I explained I had searched the internet,YouTube and still could NOT get the phone BACK off.

In ending, growing OLD I guess. Had a VERY PAINFUL ultrasound done on my LEFT leg which has decided to cramp all the way up to my thigh. Test said my "circulation" was OKAY. But I still worry that it will happen while DRIVING. No need to run over someone. So far it happens "randomly" at night. Hell to get out of bed to WALK it off and tears are in my eyes..Yes, the s.it HURTS and lasts about 15 minites. Lol, feels like FOREVER!!!

Everyone, remember - OUR LUV ONES ARE ALWAYS WITH US.

*** Usually I proofread before posting, but it is nearly 8am ET for me. Need to shower, wash hair and head out BEFORE snow storm arrives. ***

Luv,

Nicole (Grief Forum)

[mc6844]

Nicole, magnesium works good for leg cramps. Gummies are easier. However berry flavor is not good tasting. Lol. I hope you feel better. 

[MarcyW882921]

Making sure to keep hydrated is also an important factor in preventing leg cramps.

Marcy

[jonibee]

Does the town sand the road so going up won't be such a challenge?..Here in MA we have lots of hills hete and there some negotiable others no and people who live there park at the bottom where ever they can it can be bad if one car doesn't make it and starts to slide backwards. Hopefully Spring if almost ready to make an appearance in March...Ha

[Winter2025VA]

Senior Moment - forgot to share. Guess what. Per this year's Medicare Bloodwork, I am NO longer pre-diabetic!!!

My walking EVERY DAY inside my Studio Apt & low carb mediterrean diet (followed my Medicare doctor's suggestion) paid off.

Anyone have any UPDATES to share?

[mc6844]

That's wonderful Nicole. I've found Urgent Care is a good place in case a regular Dr appt not available. On Medicare the cost is $15. Hardly no wait time. Very nice to deal with 

[MarcyW882921]

Nicole,

This is great news! Congratulations on your diligence in taking care of yourself. It has paid off for you!

Marcy

[Winter2025VA]

.

[jonibee]

A nice pictureof Mister...

[sfsmith56]

Hello:

My name is Shirley.  I have losses my entire family of origin plus many cousins, aunts, and uncles. I finally took the time to write about loss.  How it affects us. Ways to get through grief: remembering family, having community, and participating with others in meaningful events. As I wrote my book:  "Life After Death" Resilience, Identity, and Revelations During Grief and After Loss, I was able to experience much healing. I hope it is helpful to others as well:  https://a.co/d/59fEYkY

[jimbohretired]

L Hi Shirley will look up your book. Here is my story probably not much different then anyone else who has lost a loved one. I hope this will help someone. 

I never experienced a significant loss until my wife passed. I had moved away from my parents many years past. I spent 3 years in the military in Germany after high school and 4 years in college. I was the youngest of 6 children - was an afterthought as there was 7 years between me and my closest sibling.  When I came back from Germany I (within a year) married a former high school classmate that I had been corresponding with for 14 months. I actually had know her since the 2nd grade - we were in many classes together and also went to the same small church and participated in groups  together. She of course was the love of my life - we had 53 great years together  and we have  3 children.I communicate with all of hem regularly and I talk with our oldest boy for close to an hour early every morning while I am biking (He works after 9am every day)  

I make efforts to be with other people. I have started a get together with friends  on my street every couple of weeks, I go to a very social circuit training class 3X per week and volunteer with a group of men to do maintenance at my church every thursday.

Anyhow as I was much younger than my siblings I pretty much had no close relationship with any of them. They all had their own families and were living their lives by the time I graduated from School and  after 3 years in the military I had to begin getting to know them all over again.

I remember one instance when I was living in Mpls. with my wife and children- 3 of the siblings got together 2 in town and one from several hundred miles away. I remember my mom in a phone call asking me did I have a good time with my brothers and sister - When I told her i did not know about the gathering she was horrified - My response was Mom there is no reason they would have even thought of me as I had minimal  contact with them over the years.

Anyhow that has now changed and we all get together at least once a year. I actually now spend time with my Brother's very frail widow every week just to talk and have a meal .

Anyhow to end this my wife died 3 years past at Christmas and the wound is till there and probably will never completely heal. I pretty much was her caregiver starting in late 2014 when her kidneys failed that followed with two strokes broken shoulders and a hip replacement. She received a new kidney July of 2015 ( I donated a kidney that summer not to her but to someone else - because of that she got a kidney about a week before she would have been on dialysis.

Anyhow that is my story and I still feel the loss. I suspect that feeling will never go away. At this point I have no interest in finding another partner (but wonder if I should)

[Winter2025VA]

December 4, 2024.

Good Morning ALL!!!

I wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU for all the support you guys have had for OUR GROUP.

With Julie @JulieT507376 & Sadie    all packed up, one more STRONGER griever READY to face what life has in store for HER.

Wishing OUR dear sweet Julie & Sadie all the best - the tears are flowing.

WE ALL HAVE SEASONS in our lives and mine has changed. Plan on "stepping away" until February 2025. I will be back!!!

I didnot want to disappear without explaining.

Cadee @Cadee2719 , I will keep an eye out for those DELICIOUS baked goods you are sending me. This touches my insides dear friend.

*** Everyone should have my email address & mailing address to stay in contact. ***

Luv,

Nicole  (Grief Forum)

[jonibee]

I will miss your post but it's not goodbye it's until we meet again..Here's to the future...