Hope for Widows Foundation

“A few days ago, an acquaintance at church made small talk with me: “How’s life?”

And I expected to feel all the normal rage that question elicits for us grievers. You know what I mean. We are the humans donning the cloak of grief, walking around in a world that has moved on from our loss. Such seemingly harmless conversation starters cause internal collisions for grievers.

People stand at the intersection of social expectation and internal reality all the time. A person navigating relationship challenges, work pressures, or even financial struggle may choose a polite answer in the moment. But for grievers, a polite answer can sometimes feel like betraying the dead, and many of us wear badges of honor when it comes to answering those questions honestly..”

HforW Community Blogger Sonney Jo Wolfe(Facebook@WIM Dispatches: Life After Jay and Instagram@wim_dispatches), writes her latest blog post here: https://hopeforwidows.org/2026/06/not-too-shabby-learning-to-live-instead-of-just-surviving-grief/
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“A few days ago, an acquaintance at church made small talk with me: “How’s life?”

And I expected to feel all the normal rage that question elicits for us grievers. You know what I mean. We are the humans donning the cloak of grief, walking around in a world that has moved on from our loss. Such seemingly harmless conversation starters cause internal collisions for grievers.

People stand at the intersection of social expectation and internal reality all the time. A person navigating relationship challenges, work pressures, or even financial struggle may choose a polite answer in the moment. But for grievers, a polite answer can sometimes feel like betraying the dead, and many of us wear badges of honor when it comes to answering those questions honestly..”

HforW Community Blogger Sonney Jo Wolfe(Facebook@WIM Dispatches: Life After Jay and Instagram@wim_dispatches), writes her latest blog post here: https://hopeforwidows.org/2026/06/not-too-shabby-learning-to-live-instead-of-just-surviving-grief/

Not Too Shabby: Learning to Live Instead of Just Surviving Grief - Hope For Widows Foundation In her latest Hope For Widows Foundation article, Sonney Wolfe explores the reasons we accidentally create unspoken standards for navigating grief, why those standards can keep us in survival mode, and what grievers can do to start living instead of just surviving.

Because of this community, HOPE is being restored every single day. 💜 Our Annual Impact Report shares the real difference donors and supporters are making in the lives of widows across the country, from moments of peace, to practical support, to reminders that no widow walks alone.

Take a look and see the impact you/our donors are helping create.

🔗 Read the full report: https://hopeforwidows.org/financials-and-impact/

Want to join this mission as a Hope Hero?
✨ https://hopeforwidows.org/become-a-donor/
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Your support helps provide:
✨ Restoring Hope & Peace Grants
✨ Sunshine Self-Care Boxes
✨ Bring Hope Holiday Assistance Program

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💜

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“The ache of compounded grief in widowhood is a particular kind of brutal.

You thought you already did the hardest part. The early days—the raw, suffocating shock, the nights where breathing itself felt like betrayal, the way the world kept spinning while yours stopped. You survived the first anniversaries, the first holidays, the first time you laughed again and immediately felt guilty for it. Over time, the wound scabbed over. It never disappeared, but it became something you could live with most days. You learned to carry it.

Then a new loss comes—another death in the family, the end of a friendship, losing a job that gave you purpose, a health scare, or even something as ordinary as your child moving away or a beloved pet dying. Suddenly, that old wound rips open as if no time passed at all. The fresh pain doesn’t just sit beside the old one; it reaches back and drags every previous layer of grief into the light again…”

HforW Community Blogger and Hope Sister, Teri Miner(Instagram@widow10619 and Personal Blog:https://widowwhispers.blogspot.com/), writes her latest blog here: https://hopeforwidows.org/2026/06/when-grief-comes-in-waves/

When Grief Comes in Waves - Hope For Widows Foundation When new loss reopens the deep wounds of widowhood, the compounded grief can feel overwhelming. Jesus is the steadfast anchor who holds us secure through every surge of sorrow. Our identity in Christ anchors us when grief comes in new waves.

“June 8 would have been 13 years of marriage. It is the 5th anniversary without my husband. Odd how the experience of that date changes.

“The first year…. I remember the agony of anticipating experiencing our youngest son’s 2nd birthday,Father’s day and our wedding anniversary all for the first time without him and of course all in the month of June. June was always a rough month.

Same with October, which represents birthdates for my husband and I and our oldest son all close in proximity to the date of his death. October remains awful even after five years. The clocks fall back, the darkness comes at the torturous time of 4 pm, warmth of summer switches to that cold aloneness of fall and those awful smells….those triggering smells of the seasons changing. I still find myself aiming to run away in October. If it is affordable and possible, then a little carefully planned getaway allows for positive things to focus on and a little forward momentum while the tornado of a death anniversary rolls through the calendar…”
HforW Community Blogger and Hope Sister, Dorothy Swanson, writes her latest blog here: https://hopeforwidows.org/2026/06/unhappy-anniversaries/

Unhappy Anniversaries - Hope For Widows Foundation June 8 would have been 13 years of marriage. It is the 5th anniversary without my husband. Odd how the experience of that date changes. The first year.... I remember the agony of anticipating experiencing our youngest son's 2nd birthday, father's day and our wedding anniversary all for the first tim...

So true…

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all of our Hope Sisters, supporters, and extended community who participated in the !

Whether you walked, ran, donated, or shared encouragement, YOU helped make this event one of love, remembrance, and impact.
We truly enjoyed seeing all the beautiful photos and powerful moments you captured, stories, and healing behind every step.
Your courage and connection have touched us deeply.

This special event has been happening since 2017, and every year it grows in strength, love, and community. We already can’t wait to gather with you again next year.

A big thank you to our amazing sponsors — Broadstreet Financial Group (Paula Gleicher Greenstreet), and Addelise Inc. — for helping bring this event to life and supporting widows everywhere.

📦 Medal fulfillment is on the way! Medals will be shipped in the next few weeks.

🏆 Contest winners will be notified soon, so keep an eye out for the communication!

From all of us at the Hope for Widows Foundation, thank you for showing up, sharing your hearts, and walking in hope with us.