Welcome to Suddenly Single Survival Guide, an ever-growing resource for the recently (or not so recently) bereaved. We’re glad you found us and hope you check back often. New posts — both on the blog and Mourning Minutes — are added regularly. Losing a partner is one of the most stressful and distressing events of a person’s life. Often there are also financial complications which can feel overwhelming.
Suddenly Single Survival Guide will give you tools to navigate both the emotional distress and the financial impact of the loss of your loved one. Suddenly Single Survival Guide has resources for you, as well as for your family. We’re also here to help them help you.
In today’s hurried state of life, the grieving process is often expected to be resolved quickly. For most people, the loss of spouse happens only once making widowhood uncharted territory that can leave you feeling disconnected, depressed, and devastated. These emotions don’t go away in a predetermined amount of time. Grief and mourning (and they are different) is a process that has no set schedule and impacts each of us differently.
We also know that a widow’s financial situation changes with the death of their spouse. We know that the implications are immediate and frequently negative. Even in cases where money is not a worry, the goals and plans made as a couple have been irrevocably altered. Even opening the monthly bank statement serves as a reminder of your loss.
If you are a widow, Suddenly Single Survival Guide will provide you with straight forward, seasoned, and substantial tools to help you heal during your time of grief. Ruth Bergen Braun, a professional counsellor, will provide regular blog posts to guide your grieving journey. Ruth also writes “Mourning Minutes”, brief meditative passages you can read over a cup of coffee to help you get through your day. Bill Bergen, a retired investment advisor, will be posting notes on various financial matters specifically pertaining to being widowed — with the goal of helping you feel confident in all matters involving money.
Take a tour of Suddenly Single Survival Guide (and be sure to like our Facebook page).
Recent Posts
Why Suddenly Single? – Ruth
If I reflect on my life, I see a pattern. I have often, and in many different ways, created groups, programs and resources for people following in my footsteps. My operating system has been to try to make things — whatever those things are — better for others because those resources weren’t there for me. … Read More
Why Suddenly Single? – Bill
Welcome to the Suddenly Single Survival Guide blog and resource website. My sister Ruth and I began incubating this idea a few years ago. In 2017, we began to work on this project in earnest and you’re now seeing the genesis of what we hope will be a website that will be beneficial for women … Read More
Looking for Restful Sleep After Losing a Loved One
It’s difficult to return to normal life after losing a loved one. Even getting out of bed, eating and sleeping can be a challenge. If you’re unable to sleep well after the death of a loved one, try the following tips.
Taming the Irritability Tiger: Managing Fear & Anxiety
If we are 100% honest, I believe all of us who have become Suddenly Single will admit there were times — particularly in those first days and weeks when we were afraid. Maybe even terrified. The future seemed uncertain. More decisions had to be made than one single brain could handle. If you think back … Read More
Gathering Your People Resources
I’m currently reading the book Grief is a Journey by Dr. Kenneth Doka. In my counselling work, I often quote him as the grief specialist who coined the term, disenfranchised grief. (Disenfranchised grief refers to grief that is not recognized by others.) Therefore, I was pleased to discover he had written a more general book … Read More
Can I Wear Black? Should I Wear Black?
Black. Black. Black. Stand at the entry point of any women’s wear store between the months of September and March and look side to side, front to back. Then, imagine that every black item of clothing in that store disappeared in a blink. What’s left? Not much. For most of my life I avoided wearing … Read More
RRSPs — A Widow’s Guide to the Tax-Deferred Rollover for RRSPs
It’s RRSP “season”, a term you’ll hear often in the first 60 days of any calendar year in Canada*. I’m sure you’ve seen many commercials on TV and online trying to convince you to set up or contribute to a registered retirement savings plan. As common as RRSPs are, I’m often asked basic questions about … Read More
We know that sometimes grief can turn into something more than just grief.
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