I get overwhelmed easily with “too many” of anything. Too many choices, too many words at first glance, too many ways to find my way to peace and healing. I have to back away. Take a beat...
After going through such a traumatic loss having anxiety and being scared or jumpy all seemed to be part of the package. A year and a half in those feelings are still there. They might not be as intense...
Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes, at least that is what they say. As a widow, I can also tell you that nothing complicates taxes like the death of your spouse. In April of 2021, our...
Ever since Don Shepherd died, twelve years ago, sleep has been a problem. Like, a major problem. As in, I don’t sleep well at all. In the beginning, I barely slept at all. I would be lucky to...
To comprehend how far we’ve moved forward after a life-changing event, it’s helpful to take a look back. I often ask myself to recall what I was doing a year, or even more, earlier at any given...
Talking with others who have lost someone, a common topic that often comes up are signs from your departed loved one. I’ve been documenting signs since the day Mario died. When I speak of signs, I...
Lately, I have taken to reading random Widow’s Blog posts, which are maintained in the Soaring Spirits archives, by authors who have come and gone from this site. Initially, I mainly was interested...
How does resilience help widowed people heal? The Soaring Spirits Resilience Center research team asked widowed people to help us define resilience as it applies to the widowed experience and the results...
It’s one in a few when I get those proud parenting moments as a solo parent. I always feel as if I’m not doing enough or I’m not giving enough or I’m just not enough for them. How does one person...
When I wrote my first blog post for this site in March of 2022, I shared what I refer to as my widow mantra. That mantra is to Be Brave. Stay Strong. Love Hard. You can read that post here: My Widow...
Soaring Spirits International: Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At Soaring Spirits International (SSI), we believe that widowhood is a shared human experience, transcending boundaries of marital status, gender, sexual identity, and religious traditions. Our programs welcome and honor the diversity that grief brings, offering support to anyone who has experienced the death of their person.
We are committed to ensuring equitable access to our programs, recognizing that underserved populations face barriers in accessing grief support. Through active outreach and data collection, we work to remove these barriers systematically and consistently.
Inclusion is at the heart of our mission. We understand that mourning takes different forms across cultures and identities. With curiosity and cultural humility, we continually adapt and expand our resources to serve an ever broader and more diverse community of widowed individuals. We actively seek feedback from underrepresented communities to ensure our programs are relevant and inclusive.
Our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion is an ongoing journey. We regularly review and improve our efforts, staying connected with the evolving needs of our global community.
Our full statement and DEI action plan can be found by clicking this link.
