Dear Friend
Welcome to our spring newsletter.
As we move into a period of lighter evenings, warmer weather and restrictions lifting, there can be hope for the future despite all of the very tough and dark times we have been through.
The green shoots of the daffodils poking out of the ground remind me that out of the darkness can come real beauty. Heather talks about struggling to a place of hope and beauty again, in her moving personal story of widowhood included in this newsletter. Heather’s dark times and heartache have been replaced with hope for her future.
Also in this edition there is an article about how we all grieve in our own unique way and how it’s important to do it your way with appropriate support.
There are also details about our upcoming online support events for you to consider, plus some other news and information in our Read all about it section.
Remember we are here for you if you need us.
Kind regards
Steve Smart
Widowed Young Support Coordinator
My journey from heartache to hope
Widowed Young Befriender Heather Bond shares how connecting with others who understand has helped her move forward on her grief journey to a place of hope.
Do it your way
One of the many difficult things to deal with after the loss of a partner is other people’s lack of understanding about how we are coping. Grief is neither linear nor predictable and no two individuals grieve the same way.
Widowed young online support events
Our online day events, for those who have lost a partner at a young age, give hope and practical help on your grief journey and provide opportunity to be with people who really understand.
Read all about it
Take a look at our regular round up of stories and articles that we think you may find helpful and encouraging.
If you are widowed young, 50 years of age or under (or older if you have dependent children still living at home), and living in the the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, this could be just the place for you to share and be listened to - and understood, or to encourage others.
Care for the Family – Widowed Young Support offers separate Facebook groups for women and for men. This allows you the space to share and be understood by others who truly 'get it', who are travelling a similar journey. New members are screened to ensure the integrity of the group and to help protect the security of all members.
If you are a young widow and would like to join the women’s group, please send a friend request
to Antonia T Lovell who is the admin and gatekeeper for this group.
If you are a young widower who would like to join the men’s group, please send a friend request to Lewis A Boyd who is the admin and gatekeeper for this group.
Telephone befriending
Some of the best people you can turn to for help after losing your spouse or partner, are Care for the Family’s Widowed Young Support befrienders. They have all experienced the pain of loss first hand, but have also begun the journey towards hope and rebuilding.
From this place of personal experience of living with loss, our network of trained volunteers can gently come alongside you through our telephone befriending support.
Our privacy policy and statement can be viewed here.
