A Journey Through Grief

Beverly Simmons chronicles her journey as a woman of faith after the devastating loss of her husband. She finds she can even thank God for the disappointments she experiences after becoming a widow: "As one 'prop' after another has been taken away, I am constantly confronted with the fact that only God can be counted on. Only God is always there for me no matter what.... So even though it's a hard lesson, I am learning, sometimes reluctantly, that I must depend on God alone.... I get the feeling that this will take a lifetime to accomplish and then only by the grace of God." ----------- "As a widow, I can say this book relates As a reader, you know what the author describes is what a woman goes through after the death of her spouse. She works through loneliness, financial difficulties, parenting a child who is also grieving, and day-to-day struggles as a single person in the struggle to recover and move on in life. It is an easy read and inspiring " (S. Cram, Director, New Beginnings Grief Ministry) ----------- "As a wife and mother, a church musician, a woman of faith, and a widow at the age of 57, Beverly Simmons weaves together threads of grief, loss, hope, trust, and faithfulness in God's presence, strength, and purpose for our lives. This book is a series of meditations in which Beverly invites us to enter into her journey through the pain and loss of her husband into a new way of being as a strong, single woman with a deep faith in the healing power of God." (The Rev. Jean Campbell)"Preface: After living and ministering on Long Island for 24 years, my husband Jeff took a job in Peekskill, New York. After the move, I found my "dream job" as a church musician at Zion Episcopal Church in Wappingers Falls, New York. The commute from Peekskill took about 45 minutes. We were settling into our new roles (my husband as retreat leader and spiritual director) and looking to spending the next 10-15 years there until we retired. We were even talking about the traveling we wanted to do when that time came.A year and half later, we were blind-sided with Jeff's diagnosis of colon cancer. Still, we assumed and prayed that he would be healed. After all, he was only 55. It was only three weeks before his death and three weeks after turning 56 (after returning from our son's wedding in Delaware) that his oncologist finally said there was nothing more to do. I notified our son, who was stationed in Japan with the Air Force, but was currently in Australia on his honeymoon. I still couldn't (or wouldn't) wrap my head around the fact that Jeff would soon be gone. We weren't in denial and had talked about what I would do once he was gone. But talking about it and experiencing it are very different, as I was soon to find out.As I began the journey of widowhood, I also began writing down my experiences and feelings. For those who have already been there, you will recognize much of what I went through. For those who have not yet been there, know that when it happens, you are not alone."