It has been 14 years since I became Mrs Ryan, although most of that time has been spent as a widow rather than a wife. Yet…
Today marks ten years of widowhood; ten years since my darling husband died so unexpectedly in the middle of the night. These past ten years have…
Today is Thursday, 21 February. I was born on Thursday, 21 February. And on this very Thursday, 21 February, I am 21 in Scrabble tiles.…
As is tradition, a new year means a new resolution. Generally, my resolutions are set as a way to focus on self-improvement in realistic terms.…
Today’s post* is brought to you by a writing prompt. The prompt is to “write a list of your favourite holiday activities”. I wanted to…
I am a widow. I was widowed when I was a young woman of 35 and my life has never been the same since. In the…
When we think about the grieving that happens after the death of a loved one, we often think about the suffering those left behind are…
Yesterday was (would have been?) my 12th wedding anniversary. And much like last year, I spent the day distracting myself with my PhD before taking some time to…
It is Mental Health Awareness Week here in the UK, so I thought I’d share a bit about my recent efforts to keep my mental health in…
Today marks eight years since his heart stopped beating. And in that very same moment, my own heart shattered into a million pieces. Remarkably, my shattered heart…
When the Dangerous Women Project was launched last year, I immediately found myself wondering if I was a dangerous woman. I wondered if there was anything about…
In the early twenty-first century, a young woman’s choice in the West to live unmarried is widely accepted. Equally, thanks to the divorce law reforms…
Since (a few failed attempts at) re-entering the dating world post-widowhood, I have learned that there are many struggles to dating in the modern era. From the drama…
It’s Christmas Eve Eve (which means that tomorrow is Christmas Eve) and I am acutely aware that this Christmas is different from all of my…
Sometimes in life, you wobble. And no matter how strong and sturdy you thought you were, you begin to sway back and forth; wobbling. That’s…
I love Zadar! I really do. I arrived here last Sunday for an academic conference and I will be travelling home tomorrow. But in this one week, I fell in…
I received my new American passport yesterday. But despite this being my third passport, it will also mark several passport firsts in my life. But…
My life was forever changed on the day I opened up my home – and my heart – to a young girl who needed me. The year that followed…
When you live your life without a partner, it can be lonely. Even if you fill your days with friends and acquaintances, it can be…
I attended a PhD workshop the other week. It was one of those touchy-feely things where they wanted to talk about coping strategies for balancing…