No one wants to join the "worst club in the world." If you're here because you have been widowed, please know you have my deepest condolences. Also know that even though I know you are gutted by your loss, you can and will get through it. Sometimes, oftentimes, it will feel impossible. The life I'm living now was unimaginable to me nearly a decade ago, when I was widowed at the age of 36. I couldn't have imagined how my two young children and I would survive; let alone that we could thrive, in the absence of their father, Mark, who was my high school sweetheart-turned-husband and fun-loving Dad.
​
When I first surfaced after Mark's death, I looked for help. I looked in a bookstore. I looked for support groups. I looked for counseling for myself and my children. I found help in the kindness of strangers when I joined a local social group for widowed people. They threw me a life preserver for the first few months and kept me afloat. But it soon became apparent that our differences outweighed our similarities. While we all knew the pain of losing a spouse, most of the other people were in their 60's, 70's, and 80's. They had adult children to help them navigate the decisions they were facing. I had daily child care needs, Daddy and Donuts day, and two heartbroken children with years of their childhoods still in front of them, whose innocence was now over. I also couldn't practically get to the support group if I didn't have childcare. So I built the community I needed by launching Widowed Parent Project in 2016. We began as a Facebook discussion group (join us, it still exists!), then a Twitter account where I shared daily musings on my life as a widowed parent along with a slew of grief-related information, and now, this website, which I hope will help you to better navigate the sea of grief you are immersed in.
 
My goal with this website is to curate content for widowed parents, especially for the newly widowed. As we build out, you'll find lots of relevant information about childhood grief and family bereavement. Many of the widowed parents I've met on my voyage (because journey is not sufficient for this trip) have graciously shared their stories with me, and now, with you. I hope you will hear their stories and see yourself and your family reflected. I also want widowed parents to know that hope is real and a new, different life is possible in the aftermath. A beautiful life even. But to get there, you must grieve your partner/co-parent and grieve them deeply. They say grief is the cost of love and I think grief is just another form of love. What I know to be true is that my connection with Mark has only deepened since his death. Our love remains and is reflected back to me daily in the faces and light of our children. Love endures. Love is infinite. Let their love guide you on your voyage. Be courageous and be kind to yourself and your children. This will not be easy, but it can be done. You are not alone.
 
Peace,
 
​
​
Jeanette Koncikowski
Founder, Widowed Parent Project
 
​