Thursday, April 1, 2010

Finding Balance

Finding the balance of moving on with life and being the link to the past and a good mom to 2 little boyz who don’t have a daddy is becoming increasingly difficult.



After the first year anniversary of Brian’s death, I felt an odd sense of freedom. I felt as if perhaps I was no longer under what I perceived was the watchful eye of many on-lookers awaiting my response and reaction to each “first.” And while I had been moving on with life and trying to help the boyz move on with life, I still felt an expectation was upon me to handle each situation with a certain degree of emotion even if I wasn’t feeling much of anything.



Now, I feel the expectations are perhaps dissipating. I am forming new relationships and friendships that didn’t know me as Brian’s wife. I have people in my life that wouldn’t even know I am a widow if I didn’t tell them. They know me as this girl, Angie, not this “you are so strong, you have been through so much yet look at you” 38 year old widow. I can’t tell you how liberating that is. Because I spent so much of the first 6 months embracing the role of grieving widow, reaching a point of wanting to live life again was conflicting to say the least.



In order to reach a point of wanting to seek a possible intimate relationship again, I had to ensure myself I was not in love with Brian anymore. This was especially difficult because I was very much in love with Brian when he died. And because I embraced the role of grieving widow for so many months, I was still fostering that love. Then I started to feel stirrings to advance with this part of my life. I knew I couldn’t give my heart to anyone else if I was still holding it for Brian. So I had to fall out of love with Brian. It was a very guilt-ridden process to allow myself to fall out of love with a dead man that did nothing to me except die.



Today I am very okay with that. I know this is so painful for so many of you that read this blog to hear, but I am no longer in love with Brian. I love and value what we had. I cherish him as I do anyone that I loved or cared for that has passed on before me. But, in order for me to love again and be loved again, I can’t be in love with Brian anymore.



The only difficult part about not being in love with Brian is the pain I know it causes so many others. I know for Brian’s family, friends and many of my family, I am the link that instantly reminds them of him. I know they look at me and expect him to shuffle in behind me at times. I know to watch me move on is a painful reminder of his permanent absence.



So, it is hard to be me. It is hard to be excited about the next chapters of my life when I am with people that realize they experienced the last chapter of that part of their life just by my presence. The book is over. They cannot have another Christmas with their son or watch their brother celebrate another birthday. They will not experience another backyard barbeque or card game with their friend/relative. And they are incredibly sad about it as I concurrently have been able to let go of that and become excited about the possibility of holidays and special occasions with someone else someday.



It is also hard to be me in the sense that talking & reminiscing a lot about Brian can, depending on the situation, hold me in the past. It can cause me heartache and keep me reliving past moments instead of looking towards the future. I feel like I have a lot of future ahead of me. I am 38. I hope and pray I have as much life to live ahead as I’ve already lived behind.



The largest conflict is the boyz. Oh my, the boyz! It is a constant struggle to find a healthy balance of healthy grieving and acceptance. One day there may be a brief mention of Daddy’s ability to play hockey, then there are several days with no mention of Daddy at all, then there are days when they hold tightly to every piece of memorabilia they have and refer to him as if he may walk through the door at any moment. I realize that is grief – it comes in waves and it is unpredictable and illogical. But, the most difficult aspect of helping them handle their grief is knowing that I have come so far in my acceptance and am even eager about what lies ahead while they just want Daddy. I can almost sense that they know I have let go of Brian so much, so they purposefully hold on to try to force me to.



I will always keep Brian’s memory alive for them as much as I can. However, the healthy balance between keeping his memory alive and living in a past life is difficult to find. I want them to have pride about their daddy. I want them to remember the activities they did together. I want them to know about the type of man he was. I want them to know as much about their daddy as possible. However, I also know that they were 6 and 7-1/2 when he died. I know they will likely have spotty recollections from this time of their life at best. Knowing that, for the last year I spent so much effort drilling those memories into them so they will have more vivid recollections, I am no longer sure if I have done them a favor or a disservice.


This is all not even mentioning that they both handle and process life and its issues in polar opposite of each other and the challenges associated with that.



Regarding Brian, so often the boyz seem to live in the past. I want them to have a healthy outlook on what lies ahead of them. I want them to feel empowered and strong. I want them to feel capable and sure of themselves. And Brian isn’t here to help me do it. It’s all me. So, I have started to change my focus from our former family of 4 to our current family dynamic trio. I am more intentional in the role of encourager and cheer-leader and leader instead of saying things like “your daddy would be so proud.” And he would be. I just don’t know the best way to handle having them accept his death, yet want to know he WOULD be proud and also know that we have to live with our current circumstances and use what we currently have to forge ahead in life. I want the memories of Brian to be healthy and to be just that – memories, not what drives them in life, not what they are looking to as their present circumstance.



As I do this, I notice them holding on and grieving all over again. I don’t know if it is good or bad. I am mixed and conflicted. They are reminiscing a ton about Dad. They are sad and I am here for them. If they have questions about Brian, I answer them. If they feel like they need to cry, I give my shoulder. I kind of feel like maybe this is good to an extent, that we have been living in the past to such a large degree that they haven’t really processed as much as I had thought they had. I wonder if their nostalgia and sadness is a step forward.



I don’t know. I just know it is hard. WAY HARDER THAN I THOUGHT. It is complicated to know how to manage and handle it all.



Mostly, though, it is very difficult to find the right balance.



I imagine it will get easier in time, but it’s all gonna be about balance.

our current balance


KEEP BELIEVING

13 comments:

  1. I don't write often but I do keep up with your blog. I am so happy to hear you want to move forward with your life. You cannot go back - life has changed but I hope for you a new life full of happiness. Your boys will adjust - give them time - you are doing a very good job helping them move forward too. Don't give up - your life will be full again sometime soon. My prayers go with you.

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  2. Angie,
    I have the joy of knowing you before Brian, and with, and now after. You have always had an amazing spirit and I know that Brian saw it too. I am so happy for you that you continue to grow, that Brian's death didn't paralyze you. Not that I expected it to, but anyone would understand if it did.

    I can't comprehend your grief. But, I have read and can see how you are there for your sons, letting them be who they are and grieve in their own individual ways. You are doing great. Not that I know anything, but I'm still impressed.

    Love you!

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  3. This is just an amazing piece of insight. Once again, you impress me to the point of speechlessness.

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  4. I am so proud to call you my friend. Such a perfectly worded post! You're so right. The balance is & probably always will be hard, but moving forward in life is the right thing to do. You rock, Angie!

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  5. It is amazing as we go from the loss of a husband to the grief (both ourselves and our children) and on to the growing in a new life.

    My daughter was 10 when my husband died. She processed it much more differently than I did. In fact, she was out of grief and into recovery long before I was. I sat in "our" bedroom and watched TV and did crafts. She went out and played with her friends.

    Now everyone says she and I are cut from the same block. That may be true, but we still handle our lives differently.

    Angie, you are doing the very best you can for the boyz and letting them process everything at their pace is going to provide a healthy future for all of you.

    God bless you and keep you all the days of your lfe, Karen W. in S.W. Ohio

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  6. There definitely isn't any one certain path that a life after the death of a loved one is "supposed" to take. I am happy for you that you are able to release what was and look forward to what will be.

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  7. this was very insightful, angie. thinking of the 3 of you and your balance.

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  8. Thinking of you Angie as you enter this next phase in life. I am sure it is so hard, but from a total unconnected outside opinion it sounds like you are doing a great job.

    You are a wonderful mother to those two boyz!

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  9. I remember your posts a year ago and how you didn't know if you'd make it to where you are now. It's amazing how time moves us forward even when we don't want it to. Your boys are so blessed to have a mother that honors their feelings so much and gives such grace to them. I pray others will also extend that grace to you too. Happy Easter! Much love to you all.

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  10. You. Are cool.

    You are graceful and real and open.

    Balance is hard as heck. In any circumstance. I love that you're embracing your current balance in the way you can.

    You? Are cool.

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  11. I follow your blog and I think you are an amazing person. You are ready to start a new life and it's time for you to be happy. Your sons are beautiful and young and they will be okay. Yes it is hard but the world is out there and you will be happy and fall in love again...you are a precious child of God and He will lead you on this journey. My prayers are with you and your boys!

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  12. I'm a total lurker, but have been following along for the past 20+ months or so... from when Brian was sick through his passing one year ago.

    I've had a chance to read oodles of your postings ... and I'm writing today to briefly say that I am in total awe of where you were then and where you are now.

    You've evolved... from a grieving wife and widow, to a new woman ready to restart life.

    I can't imagine the undercurrent of 'conversations' from your family and friends as you move on ... it seems only natural, yet, I'm sure for some, it's still quite difficult.

    I feel like I needed to write as I'm about to embark on a year of single motherhood - as I send my husband of 10 years on a deployment to Iraq. While I can only think of the positive, the thoughts of becoming a widow at 37 are sadly overwhelming.

    Anyway, my thoughts are with you as you boldly hold your head up high and find a new you. You deserve it. Your family deserves it. Best of luck during this exciting time.

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  13. AnonymousMay 31, 2010

    Angie...I thought I would check in on you ...you have been on my heart so much lately as I know the anniversary date has come & gone and also with Sang's passing. I know you were completely in love with Brian. No one knows what your journey has been or is but you. I can only imagine what you had to work through to let Brian go so you could look with JOY to the future. You truly are amazing, with beautiful insight, so balanced, such a beautiful spirit & soul. We are here to live life, to experience life...ALL of it..whatever comes our way...how we handle it, process it and move ahead is truly what its all about. We cannot remain ''stuck'' or frozen. I wish you the very best in all you do and in all you love!
    Respectfully, Debra Winter

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