🤔 What CHALLENGE(s) Are YOU Facing RIGHT NOW?

[Anonymous]

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Stop by to tell us about YOUR CHALLENGE and support OTHER MEMBERS.

Grief & Loss Team 🤎🤗

[Spring2025]

Hi Murphy @Murphy8344  , I HOPE you have been able to find some PEACE dear friend. Luv you SO MUCH and hope you will stop by AGAIN to see us. Nicole 🤗🤗🤗

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[*** MURPHY wrote: My family and friends want a Celebration of Life which is ok, but ifI invite all of the people who are telling me they want to come, I can't afford it. What do I say to these people?  How do I explain I can't afflord over a certain number of people? ***]

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[Spring2025]

Hi Eileen @EileenP559346  , I HOPE you have been able to find some PEACE dear friend. Luv you SO MUCH and hope you will stop by AGAIN to see us. Nicole 🤗🤗🤗

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[*** EILEEN wrote: There are so many challenges.  Practical challenges like having to call repair people.  And then the hardest challenge.  It has been 8+ months and I feel more in the throws of missing him than I did a few months ago.  And the challenge is that my friends and family pretty much don't want to hear it anymore.  They don't know how to comfort me anymore.  And I totally get it.  But they may have moved on but I haven't.  I still need to talk about him and my pain.  I am starting Grief Share again this Sunday.  I really hope that helps.  I need something to help.  I wake up in the morning and my first thought is of him and how much I miss him.  I go to bed and my last thought is also of missing him.  I know my story isn't unique and I feel for each and every one of you that is also going through this terrible grief. ***]

[mc6844]

Eileen, I hope you're feeling somewhat better. The pain of loss does pass with time. The missing can be an energy to attend to certain things for instance, health matters. Or maybe an option to stop and rest, and what's most important to you at this time. Stopping by the forum and sharing your grief will lighten the load for the day. Take care!

[Spring2025]

Hi Jen @tyMI95 , I HOPE you have been able to find some PEACE dear friend. Luv you SO MUCH and hope you will stop by AGAIN to see us. Nicole 🤗🤗🤗

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[*** JEN wrote: My mother passed away on 1/20. I think my biggest challenge right now is the ability to look in the mirror.  I mean, I've always known I look like my mom, but now, good gravy, with her passing all I can see is her in the mirror staring back at me. I guess a positive spin would be I'll always be able to see her, but for now, not so much. Jen ***]

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[mc6844]

Jen, I know what you mean. I had a similar experience when a loved one passed. And before another loved one passed, I saw her walking beside me. I couldn't believe it. She died a few days after that. Life is fluid. The way it all happens in it's different stages is a mystery. Its best not to try and figure it out, I think. Take care!

[Spring2025]

Hi Carolyn @CarolynS674392 , I HOPE you have been able to find some PEACE dear friend. Luv you SO MUCH and hope you will stop by AGAIN to see us. Nicole 🤗🤗🤗

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[*** CAROLYN wrote: I am grieving my husband and also trying to assist my mother by cheering her up.  She is depressed and cries to me a lot.  I guess that's my role.  She doesn't complain to my sisters.  Today was a good day.  My dad and mom and I went to see my niece's artwork in a district-wide art show.  Then we had lunch out.  We don't go out very much but we should.  She seemed happy today.  I'm very glad. ***]

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[mc6844]

Carolyn, it's so good of you to support your mother while going through your own grief. I'm sorry for the loss of your husband. Take care!

[Spring2025]

Hi @dl72363359  , I HOPE you have been able to find some PEACE dear friend. Luv you SO MUCH and hope you will stop by AGAIN to see us. Nicole 🤗🤗🤗

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[*** @dl72363359 wrote: At the behest of my children I moved three months after my husband's death.  At the end of January I left Texas and  moved to Wisconsin. It's taken three more months  to recover from moving to a strange new place without my husband and a totally different climate 

And just as long to find a Church, as I'm a Christian.  All I want to do is nothing. Or cry. Or just sleep.  I lost my son the year before on July 4th to a massive heart attack. Loss and grief cannot be outrun. Are the things o am feeling  normal? ***]

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[mc6844]

I'm so sorry for your losses. Adjusting to a new environment can't be easy. But the hard times will pass. The pain and awful sadness passes. Stopping by the forum can help you get through this time in your life. Take care!

[Spring2025]

Hi Kim @KimberlyM389662 , I HOPE you have been able to find some PEACE dear friend. Luv you SO MUCH and hope you will stop by AGAIN to see us. Nicole 🤗🤗🤗

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[*** KIM wrote: Not very good. I lost my husband of 30 years in January. I am trying to figure out what to do now. I have an adult disabled son, he is profoundly autistic and has the mind of a 5 year old. He says Daddy's in heaven but he doesn't understand what heaven is. I had a very bad fall the end of 2020 which resulted in multiple traumatic fractures in my back. I ended up having to have a six level spinal fusion but, I now I have four bulging desks, bone spurs, and permanent nerve damage. ***]

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[Spring2025]

Hi Carol @CarolD435501 , I HOPE you have been able to find some PEACE dear friend.  Luv you SO MUCH and hope you will stop by AGAIN to see us. Nicole  🤗🤗🤗

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[*** CAROL wrote: Today, I feel  alone, scared, really missing my Love.....<Monroe.....I need to go to bed...but do not want to....I DO have a sweet doggie...A rescue...and she has rescured me....and I am thankful for her.....I am trying to stay away from the big wave......It will eventually give up...and I will be ....from it and have calm waters around me......Bless everyone grieving.   and all are in my prayers......]

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[Spring2025]

Missing my daughter in Florida, I am in Virginia.  😭

Hang in there EVERYONE!!!  👍

Nicole  🤗🤗🤗

[MarcyW882921]

I hope you get to see your daughter today Nicole @Spring2025 for Mother's Day even if it is only a video call!

Marcy

[mc6844]

I hope you get to see your daughter often. It's good we have internet to keep up with everyone these days. Sometimes I get confused with the dates on posts on the forum. So not sure if I've posted on another post. I gotta go slow these days. My brain gets to places before my feet  lol  I guess that's the way it goes. If we go slow we'll be okay.

[MarcyW882921]

I'm with mc @mc6844 concerning the dates on the forum. Sometimes I get an Email message and when I look at it the date passed by awhile ago! Thanks for making me feel better!😊

Marcy

[mc6844]

Hope you find a happy medium to where you want to live. You can do what you feel you need to. Just take good care of yourself Nicole. 

[MarcyW882921]

You too Nicole @Spring2025 could be in Florida! 😎🍊

Marcy

[Spring2025]

Hmmm, Marcy @MarcyW882921 , I am wondering IF these would be of "interest" to Florida Collectors, museums and schools.

Gosh, they need to finish your kitchen so I can stop by for dinner! 🙄

Nicole 🤗

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✏@MarcyW882921 wrote:

Thanks mc @mc6844 . We are talking about artwork and writings that my husband has invested countless hours creating, boxes of DVDs of his artwork, flash drives of his artwork, a computer and external hard drives, and an abundance of photography equipment. I've been in touch with a photography store twice, I dragged out all of the equipment and took photos as they had recommended, I sent them the photos, and haven't heard back from them. It's too overwhelming to think about so I am just trying to get through a remodeling project.

Marcy✏

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[mc6844]

Nicole has a good idea. You can make sure the writing and artwork is in digital format. If it isn't you can have a service do it. Then decide later what you want to do with it. As far as the physical paper goes, I know it's not easy making that decision. Know that his work was seen and will be seen by those meant to see it. 

[MarcyW882921]

As you say Nicole @Spring2025 , One step at a time! I'll get through this remodel project, we'll have dinner and maybe I can start thinking about this other stuff. 😃

Marcy

[Spring2025]

Lol, I bet you could Marcy @MarcyW882921 🤣😂

Nicole 🤗

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✏@MarcyW882921 wrote:

mc @mc6844 , Decluttering didn't help me at all when my Mom passed away. It seemed like a monumental task, but I did finally make it through her things. The decluttering task ahead of my husband's things feels like a big boulder crushing me. Clothing items and books were relatively easy but I have so many other things of his that take up a considerable amount of space in the house. I think I could write a counter perspective to the article you read. 😜

Marcy✏

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[mc6844]

Maybe just filling one box or bag a day. Unless you're in a rush for some reason. Taking care of yourself is what's most important. Maybe asking a family member or friend to help you is the way to go. It can get to be too much.

[MarcyW882921]

Thanks mc @mc6844 . We are talking about artwork and writings that my husband has invested countless hours creating, boxes of DVDs of his artwork, flash drives of his artwork, a computer and external hard drives, and an abundance of photography equipment. I've been in touch with a photography store twice, I dragged out all of the equipment and took photos as they had recommended, I sent them the photos, and haven't heard back from them. It's too overwhelming to think about so I am just trying to get through a remodeling project.

Marcy

[GailL1]

@MarcyW882921 

It has been many years ago but my husband was an artist and I can relate to what you are saying about the overwhelming task with equipment.  

We sold only original work so most of that was sold at the end of his life - paintings and sculptures.    But his editions were original prints - etchings / collographs / mezzotints as well as monoprints.

So I had a rather an large etching press and all the supportive equipment to get rid of in the printmaking studio.  The etching press was big and a weighed about a ton, then the drying rack was just as big and cumbersome.  

I got in touch with the art departments at various colleges and universities and they were very helpful in getting the word out to others and once that was done, I had no problem selling all this equipment and they even moved it - I did give them an excellent price since I knew that my husband would like keeping this art form alive.

I also contacted various publishers and was able to sell the reproductive rights to several of his works and I am still getting royalty payments for them.  

I also marketed some of the giclees which we had captured in huge files before his death.

That has been many years ago and I no longer keep the website up since there hasn’t been any new work in almost 20 years.

Plus the artworld changed drastically in that time with so much digital imaging.  My husband would have loved working in that medium IF he was only able to stick around - but alas, he didn’t get to -

I still have all the photos of my late husband’s works - I had all the photos digitalization awhile back so the physical space they now take up is rather minimal.  Keeping them for prosperity and for those who come after.  

I still have many old cameras and photo equipment which we used in documenting and promoting his works - I haven’t really worried about getting rid of them - I’m old, so somebody else can do it when they are packing up stuff which I leave behind at my demise.  They probably will be considered antiques at that time but knowing artist, somebody will pull them out and make something new again with them - 

Good Luck in your task at hand.

[MarcyW882921]

Gail @GailL1, Thank you so much for your response about my monumental task of dealing with my husband's most treasured work. You truly get what I am facing and I love that you contacted visual arts departments at colleges and universities. That is a great idea.

Marcy

[mc6844]

Dropping by to say hi!  I remember you all in prayer. I just keep going. Grateful I can. Tho slowing down more. Lost my glasses. Walmart Vision  Center got me new pair and only took 2 days! I highly recommened them. Life stuff and we keep on keeping on. For me, it's getting the energy to do things.

I was reading a post about decluttering. I recalled an article about that. It said leave some decluttering for your loved ones. It will help them to grieve.

[MarcyW882921]

mc @mc6844 , Decluttering didn't help me at all when my Mom passed away. It seemed like a monumental task, but I did finally make it through her things. The decluttering task ahead of my husband's things feels like a big boulder crushing me. Clothing items and books were relatively easy but I have so many other things of his that take up a considerable amount of space in the house. I think I could write a counter perspective to the article you read. 😜

Marcy

[Spring2025]

One Step At A Time 🤗

[CarolD435501]

Today, I feel  alone, scared, really missing my Love.....<Monroe.....I need to go to bed...but do not want to....I DO have a sweet doggie...A rescue...and she has rescured me....and I am thankful for her.....I am trying to stay away from the big wave......It will eventually give up...and I will be ....from it and have calm waters around me......Bless everyone grieving.   and all are in my prayers......