It came unexpectedly fast, Maryann Mueller says of her husband’s 2014 death by heart attack, and like most women who find themselves suddenly widowed, she felt lost.
Mueller is joining with 12 other women to share their stories in the hope that they can help the many women who will follow in their paths. The book is called Grief Diaries: Through the Eyes of a Widow and reached the #1 New Release on Amazon.
“There is no rule book. There is no guide book. It’s different for everybody. I read everything I could get my hands on about grief and the things that helped me the most were the personal stories about grief,” she explains to KTRH News.
The anthology they’ve compiled offers a window into the experiences of the women, ranging in age from 31 to 73, who found the coping mechanisms to help them manage the loss of their spouse and individual journeys through the stages of grief. “I didn’t do it in a certain order. I think acceptance came quickest because that’s the only way that you can move forward. You have to accept what happens. You can’t change it and you can’t go back.”
The lesson she shares is the appreciation of the moment, and all the moments that combined make up a life, a relationship, a marriage. On average, women are widowed at age 59. Most were not expecting it, but many will find sharing the stories of those who came before them may help finding a way forward.