<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><!-- generator="wordpress/2.3.3" --><rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" version="2.0">

<channel>
	<title>WidowSpeak Blog</title>
	<link>http://widow-speak.org/blog</link>
	<description>Current news and stories by widows who relate their unique experiences and perspectives.</description>
	<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:12:56 +0000</pubDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3</generator>
	<language>en</language>
			<atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/widowspeakblog" type="application/rss+xml" /><feedburner:emailServiceId>widowspeakblog</feedburner:emailServiceId><feedburner:feedburnerHostname>http://feedburner.google.com</feedburner:feedburnerHostname><item>
		<title>My Protective Cloak</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/widowspeakblog/~3/SUTV2vtB8mI/</link>
		<comments>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/06/13/my-protective-cloak/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:12:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>michele</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Grief and Grieving]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Remembrance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/06/13/my-protective-cloak/</guid>
		
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Motherhood brings out the lioness in me. No task is too small or sacrifice too great to ensure the well being of my three children. In my mind’s eye I can see myself jumping in front of an on-coming train to save their lives; feeding them first from my last ration of bread; offering myself [...]<br/>
<br/>
[More...]<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=SUTV2vtB8mI:barMBor-HI8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=SUTV2vtB8mI:barMBor-HI8:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?i=SUTV2vtB8mI:barMBor-HI8:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=SUTV2vtB8mI:barMBor-HI8:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/06/13/my-protective-cloak/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<feedburner:origLink>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/06/13/my-protective-cloak/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>Time is Not the Healer of Grief</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/widowspeakblog/~3/QUhNR2fXi7k/</link>
		<comments>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/04/04/myths-of-grief-part-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:02:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sandysea</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Grief and Grieving]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/04/04/myths-of-grief-part-1/</guid>
		
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Since grief is a difficult topic for most people, there is a tendency to descend into myths about the subject of grief. These myths have often been passed down from generation to generation. These myths or paradigms easily become the accepted truth of our lives that we accept without...<br/>
<br/>
[More...]<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=QUhNR2fXi7k:idcsgu5S0Ys:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=QUhNR2fXi7k:idcsgu5S0Ys:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?i=QUhNR2fXi7k:idcsgu5S0Ys:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=QUhNR2fXi7k:idcsgu5S0Ys:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/04/04/myths-of-grief-part-1/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<feedburner:origLink>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/04/04/myths-of-grief-part-1/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>My Husband’s Favorite Sweatshirt</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/widowspeakblog/~3/6my_3NwYNhg/</link>
		<comments>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/02/12/my-husbands-favorite-sweatshirt/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:57:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>michele</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Grief and Grieving]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Remembrance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/02/12/my-husbands-favorite-sweatshirt/</guid>
		
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[For the first few weeks after Phil&#8217;s death anything that had touched his body was sacred. His shoes were sitting where he last left them, his lunchbox remained on top of the refrigerator, and his toothbrush was standing next to mine in the holder. One day I found an eyelash of his and pressed...<br/>
<br/>
[More...]<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=6my_3NwYNhg:7RwOpSO9mk0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=6my_3NwYNhg:7RwOpSO9mk0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?i=6my_3NwYNhg:7RwOpSO9mk0:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=6my_3NwYNhg:7RwOpSO9mk0:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/02/12/my-husbands-favorite-sweatshirt/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<feedburner:origLink>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/02/12/my-husbands-favorite-sweatshirt/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>The Big Red Day</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/widowspeakblog/~3/8psue2Q65TA/</link>
		<comments>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/02/01/the-big-red-day/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:58:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>michele</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Grief and Grieving]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Beginnings]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Remembrance]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Vignettes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/02/01/the-big-red-day/</guid>
		
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[My husband used to call Valentine’s Day ‘So What Day’…romantic, huh? He thought greeting cards were a waste of trees;  that buying flowers because someone told you to defeated the purpose;  and that going to dinner on the big day just to eat from a limited menu and have servers anxiously awaiting...<br/>
<br/>
[More...]<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=8psue2Q65TA:myouVvfessM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=8psue2Q65TA:myouVvfessM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?i=8psue2Q65TA:myouVvfessM:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=8psue2Q65TA:myouVvfessM:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/02/01/the-big-red-day/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<feedburner:origLink>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/02/01/the-big-red-day/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>Eleven</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/widowspeakblog/~3/zpHQlqJqeoU/</link>
		<comments>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/01/06/eleven/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:42:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annmarie</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Grief and Grieving]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Beginnings]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Widows' Stories]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/01/06/eleven/</guid>
		
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[I am eleven years a widow now. I reread the words I have written in my widowhood and wonder how I ever made it through the pain, the fears and the frozen terror of life in the aftermath of death.
But I did. Sometimes it actually feels contained. The grief. The longing for him alive has [...]<br/>
<br/>
[More...]<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=zpHQlqJqeoU:_dMmQ_Yj-gE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=zpHQlqJqeoU:_dMmQ_Yj-gE:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?i=zpHQlqJqeoU:_dMmQ_Yj-gE:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=zpHQlqJqeoU:_dMmQ_Yj-gE:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/01/06/eleven/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<feedburner:origLink>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2009/01/06/eleven/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>How Can I Be Merry?</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/widowspeakblog/~3/ZrAVM7Qpn2I/</link>
		<comments>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/24/how-can-i-be-merry/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Dec 2008 08:31:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>michele</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Grief and Grieving]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/24/how-can-i-be-merry/</guid>
		
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[This is the fourth Christmas I have spent without Phil. I find that fact almost incomprehensible. Where has the time gone? How do I begin to count the things that have happened in my life since his death? The kids have grown several inches, our families have grown and changed, our house is...<br/>
<br/>
[More...]<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=ZrAVM7Qpn2I:KQwj_zDQUR8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=ZrAVM7Qpn2I:KQwj_zDQUR8:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?i=ZrAVM7Qpn2I:KQwj_zDQUR8:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=ZrAVM7Qpn2I:KQwj_zDQUR8:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/24/how-can-i-be-merry/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<feedburner:origLink>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/24/how-can-i-be-merry/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>The Widow Next Door</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/widowspeakblog/~3/zCQyI4g6PPA/</link>
		<comments>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/18/the-widow-next-door/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:37:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>michele</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Grief and Grieving]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Beginnings]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Widows' Stories]]></category>

		<category />

		<category><![CDATA[giving]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[grief]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[healing]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[helping a friend through loss]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[widow]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[widow in need]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/18/the-widow-next-door/</guid>
		
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[WidowSpeak Blog » michele
Grief is a thief; it steals the breath of life and leaves devastation in its wake. What happens when grief robs a woman of not only her husband, but also her ability to cope with the world around her? How do others know when the aftermath of loss has created a dangerous...<br/>
<br/>
[More...]<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=zCQyI4g6PPA:3lLNdyOIK8Y:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=zCQyI4g6PPA:3lLNdyOIK8Y:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?i=zCQyI4g6PPA:3lLNdyOIK8Y:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=zCQyI4g6PPA:3lLNdyOIK8Y:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/18/the-widow-next-door/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<feedburner:origLink>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/18/the-widow-next-door/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Survive the Holidays: Tips for Widows</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/widowspeakblog/~3/MYLcAEXg1vM/</link>
		<comments>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/16/how-to-survive-the-holidays-tips-for-widows/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:42:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sandysea</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Grief and Grieving]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[depression]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[grief and holidays]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Beginnings]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/16/how-to-survive-the-holidays-tips-for-widows/</guid>
		
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[I think many grievers become overwhelmed with conflicting feelings during the holidays. Questions arise about how to best cope during this festive season when you are not feeling festive.
Tips:
1) Really be honest with yourself. Your loved one is gone physically. Acknowledge that no matter what you...<br/>
<br/>
[More...]<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=MYLcAEXg1vM:GORV78OrWoU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=MYLcAEXg1vM:GORV78OrWoU:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?i=MYLcAEXg1vM:GORV78OrWoU:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=MYLcAEXg1vM:GORV78OrWoU:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/16/how-to-survive-the-holidays-tips-for-widows/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<feedburner:origLink>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/12/16/how-to-survive-the-holidays-tips-for-widows/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>Grief as Transformation</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/widowspeakblog/~3/_p0fZ-N3nSw/</link>
		<comments>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/10/29/grief-as-transformation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:18:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sandysea</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Grief and Grieving]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[New Beginnings]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[grief]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[grieving]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/10/29/grief-as-transformation/</guid>
		
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[The life cycle of the butterfly speaks volumes about the process of grief. The life of the butterfly begins inside a cocoon, hanging inconspicuously from the limb of a tree. Silently, but deliberately the transformation begins. Anyone looking from below would have no idea what is going on inside...<br/>
<br/>
[More...]<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=_p0fZ-N3nSw:BBzn1T9QsrE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=_p0fZ-N3nSw:BBzn1T9QsrE:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?i=_p0fZ-N3nSw:BBzn1T9QsrE:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=_p0fZ-N3nSw:BBzn1T9QsrE:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/10/29/grief-as-transformation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<feedburner:origLink>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/10/29/grief-as-transformation/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>The Emotions of Grief</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/widowspeakblog/~3/NVOG3PjiPkE/</link>
		<comments>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/10/13/the-emotions-of-grief/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:07:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sandysea</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[characteristics of grief]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Grief and Grieving]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[grief and loss]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[unpredictable grief]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/10/13/the-emotions-of-grief/</guid>
		
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[When you least expect it, you may find yourself overwhelmed by tears. You may sob uncontrollably. Or you may quietly feel tears dripping down your face and find yourself seeing through stinging eyes.
Just as quickly the tears can stop. You may even find yourself laughing or smiling.
The emotions of...<br/>
<br/>
[More...]<div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=NVOG3PjiPkE:dlalx3puG8k:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=NVOG3PjiPkE:dlalx3puG8k:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?i=NVOG3PjiPkE:dlalx3puG8k:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?a=NVOG3PjiPkE:dlalx3puG8k:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/widowspeakblog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a>
</div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/10/13/the-emotions-of-grief/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<feedburner:origLink>http://widow-speak.org/blog/2008/10/13/the-emotions-of-grief/</feedburner:origLink></item>
	</channel>
</rss>
