Catherine's story

Catherine and her husband had a great future planned. At 57, she had just taken early retirement and was looking forward to living without work-related stress and finally spending quality time with her husband.

And then the unthinkable happened: a terminal diagnosis. They were told he would live 2 ½ years if he responded to treatment, but just six weeks after diagnosis, Catherine joined the ranks of the 15 million widowed people in the US.

She was immersed in the darkest darkness. There was the loss of his physical presence, their shared past, and the retirement they had planned. There were deep regrets and the most profound pain. She was without direction and purpose and had never felt so lost.

Nine months into her loss, Catherine joined Life Reconstructed. Since that time, she has:

• Learned to make decisions and have her own back.
• Dealt with the guilt and regret that once plagued her.
• Challenged long held beliefs about herself that were holding her back.
• Felt difficult feelings, on purpose.
• Made new, supportive friends who have also lost a spouse.
• Learned to distinguish between the pure pain of grieving and her self-imposed suffering, which she learned to mitigate.
• Discovered that happiness and grief can coexist.
• And recently, she made a bold and decisive move and purchased a home closer to family.

 “I thought I had outlived my life,” explains Catherine, “but now I’m building a life again.”

She describes her grief as more manageable now, and yet “It doesn’t mean I love him any less that I’m able to manage my grief better now.”

She once felt hopeless, confused, and apathetic and today she thinks of her future with hope and excitement. “I don’t want to waste the time that I’m privileged to have left.”

Catherine is an example of what’s possible in life after loss, and she’s just getting started.

If hopelessness has a grip on you, join us in Life Reconstructed, my group coaching program exclusively for widowed people. You will be coached privately, and learn from a self-paced curriculum, plus you’ll meet like-minded people like Catherine who are growing together and supporting each other every step of the way. Simply click here and we’ll see if it’s a fit.