On Sept. 28, 2019, I became a widow. I hate the word and everything it implies. I was at home getting ready for work that morning; my husband was on his way home when I got a call from the hospital that he’d been in an accident.

That day and many that came after it was a blur. Shocked, traumatized and lost, I could not believe this news and the reality that I had to bear. I lost all sense of who I was, and once the initial numbness wore off, I was left with a huge gaping open space at my core that was darker than anything I could ever imagine.

I was amazed at the response I received from people I did not even know when this happened, because I was so used to just handling everything with Art, my teammate in life. He was such an amazing presence in my life, and I couldn’t imagine how I could move forward without him.

I have experienced every emotion as I have moved through my new reality. In my grief, I have found that the best way to help myself is to help others. I was inspired to create a local support group, Widowed Warriors. I want to see if I can help create a safe space for people to share their experience and seek healthy solutions in a supportive environment.

This support group will focus on providing resources, as well as a place for all to connect.

Losing a spouse is such a different type of grief. You lose so many facets of your life — friend, lover, partner, teammate, etc. The private jokes no longer make sense, and you feel like you are no longer special to anyone.

If you have lost your spouse due to death or if you grieve them because of impairment like Alzheimer’s, join us. If you are looking for positive solutions, resources and a safe place to talk it out, we look forward to meeting you. This support group will be a mixture of planned content and an open forum. We will offer this group on the third Thursday of the month at 2 p.m. at Easley Place, located at 706 Pelzer Highway in Easley. We didn’t pick this chapter, but we are responsible to survive it. Let’s help each other get there.

For more information, call 859-0167.