Every single thing is hard.  I cried seven times at parent teacher conferences last night and my kids are good. They’re getting As and Bs and behaving well. I just had to make sure the teachers knew to watch for hard days and that they knew our plan for if the kids have one. I…

I’ve slowly been taking things out of Vance’s side of the closet for a while. His new work clothes were easy. I got rid of those right away. He’d gotten a clothing allowance from work that had kicked in just a few months before his heart attack. The clothes were all special fabric for electricians…

My life is now divided. There is “before” and there is “after.” Vance’s death is the dividing line. The Kelsy who lived “before” is, in a lot of ways, gone. This one now living in the “after,” she is different. In some ways that’s sad and there are a lot of things about the “before”…

There are benefits to grieving aloud. That sounds funny but it’s true. I’ve been very public with my struggles and that’s actually been one of the most helpful things for me in this process. It’s not for everyone but for me it’s been a major part of the healing. By putting myself out there I’ve…