​When my husband suddenly died, without warning, I was immediately tossed into a whole new world with no experience and a lot of unknowns. The intense sadness and loneliness that engulfed me was nearly too much to take. All I wanted was to figure out how to get better and back to feeling like myself again, albeit without my husband. It has been nearly two years since my husband left this earth and I know many newly widowed women wonder how long the pain will last. I will say that the pain, for me, has never really gone away, but it has gotten more dull and less sharp. The first 30, 60, 90 days after my husband passed were the most overwhelming and disorienting. Here is what I experienced.

​Grief is hard, emotional, confusing, and overwhelming. I’ve also learned it is uniquely personal. It is not a one size fits all and there is no right or wrong way to do it. What some find helpful or comforting during their grief may not help another and vice versa. The advice I’d give to my former self, in those first few weeks and months after my husband died, is to just do me.