-
Unfriending on Social Media: The New Self Care
I’m a huge advocate of self care. If I have learned anything on this crazy journey over the last four years, it’s to do what brings me joy. Every single day I have left. I protect my mental health a lot more than I ever have before in my life. Lately, I’ve been increasingly finding… Continue reading
-
Finding Home Again: Change, Challenges, and New Beginnings
A Year in a Day Hi there, it’s me. Wow, where did the year go? I keep asking myself that question frequently these past few weeks. So much has happened in the past few months alone, and knowing where to begin is tough. This is an update and this is my story of finding home… Continue reading
-
Better or just Different?–As Time Passes
While visiting the picturesque island of Sanibel, I wandered into a small toy store. What started as a casual shopping trip became a profound and unforgettable encounter. Behind the register stood a small woman whose warmth and empathy touched me deeply. As we spoke, I shared my story of trauma and loss, tears streaming down… Continue reading
-
A Realization of Widowhood: Navigating the Reality of Being Single
Realization of Widowhood…Setting IN I. Am. Single. Yes, that’s what I said. It’s a hard realization of widowhood. It really doesn’t matter how long you were married before, the law only recognizes “until death do you part.” So now, whether you want to be or not, like it or not, you are single! It’s hard… Continue reading
-
A Grief Journey Continued: Chasing Clarity
The Anniversary of the Beginning I must confess, my last post about facing the fourth anniversary of the start of my grief journey was a bit of a joke to me and not the haha kind. Although I wrote and rewrote it several times, no words seemed to convey what I was experiencing. I couldn’t… Continue reading
-
Twenty-one Days: Cherishing Moments and Memories
21 DAY REWIND June 14th, 2020 was a Sunday. I will be stuck in this moment for the rest of my life whether I want to or not. Strange how trauma does that to the mind. As this anniversary is rapidly approaching, so goes my train of thought into a rewind. My brain seems to… Continue reading
-
Self-Publishing Journey: Overcoming Challenges & Celebrating Rewards
I didn’t know it then, but this self-publishing journey began several years ago. When I first started journaling my deepest, darkest thoughts in 2020, it wasn’t until about eight months later that a book started to shape in my mind. That one is still yet to be written, but I have taken that energy and… Continue reading
-
Saying Goodbye After Loss: Finding Peace in Our Last Goodbye
The author experiences ups and downs in their grief journey, feeling melancholy as anniversaries approach. A pivotal moment comes when they realize they had already said goodbye to their husband. Remembering the significance of goodbyes brings them peace and a sense of closure, highlighting the importance of parting words. Continue reading
-
A Positively Strange Encounter
I was adopted at six weeks old. I’ve always been curious about my birth families my entire life. Finally, in 2005, I decided to try to find them. Once I learned my birth mother’s name, it wasn’t long until I found and connected with her family. She, however, has wanted nothing to do with me… Continue reading
-
The Breaking Point: Dealing With So Much
Preface: This is a warning that I have been trying to write something for a while, but I am all over the place. Over the past couple of weeks, I have had so many thoughts and ideas about what I want to write about. I would start, then stop, and not finish anything. I kept… Continue reading
-
Morning Rituals
Writing prompt: What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like? When asked this question, I had to think about it for a while. My morning rituals have evolved over the years. Mostly because of the house or space I am inhabiting. I spend my first few minutes just… Continue reading
-
Fear of Writing: From Trauma to Triumph
The writer shares experiences of betrayal, loss, and fear related to writing and creativity. Exploring the impact of childhood boundary violation, she emphasizes the healing potential of writing and offers tips for reconnecting with creativity, practicing self-care, and seeking support. Overcoming fear is depicted as a journey of healing and empowerment. Continue reading
About The Blue Widow Chronicles and Me
The Blue Widow Chronicles began after my husband, Eric, died suddenly in 2020. I became a widow overnight, and the writing became the place I went to make sense of a life that no longer made sense.
What began as writing through grief has grown with me.
Over the years, I’ve written my way through widowhood, PTSD and trauma, solo travel, love after loss, losing Greg to suicide, starting over, complicated relationships, and the ongoing work of figuring out who I am when the life I once knew no longer exists.
This isn’t a blog about having grief figured out. I write from wherever I actually am—sometimes healing, sometimes questioning, sometimes rebuilding, and sometimes admitting I have no idea what comes next.
Odin and Freija frequently find their way into these pages too, along with the people, places, memories, and ordinary moments that remind me life continues even when it looks nothing like the one I expected.
What You’ll Find Here
The Chronicles are personal essays about grief, trauma, identity, love, relationships, travel, rebuilding, and life after loss. Some were written from inside the experience. Others look back years later with a perspective I couldn’t have had when everything was happening.
There are more than five years of stories here. You don’t need to read them in order. Start wherever something speaks to you.
Beyond the Pages
Some stories can be told publicly. Others need a smaller room.
Beyond the Pages is the more intimate side of The Blue Widow Chronicles on Patreon—a growing private library of previously unpublished journal entries, deeper reflections on the Chronicles, member-only writing, and guided writing resources.
Membership is $5/month and includes access to the complete growing library.
Come further in —Beyond the Pages