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Guest Columns

Men Need To Have Purpose

March 19, 2019 by Herb Knoll

Men need to have a purpose in life.   A reason to get up in the morning.  Absent purpose, why live? I hear it in the voices and read it in the posts men make on “Widowers Support Network – Members Only”… Read More

First relationship after being widowed

March 12, 2019 by Herb Knoll

Tired of being alone? Whether you’re a divorcee, a widowed man, have never married or even been in a committed relationship, you may someday decide that you are tired of being alone. I completely understand.  You see, I’ve been in your shoes as have millions of… Read More

A Widower’s Wake-up Call

March 5, 2019 by Herb Knoll

“The entire floor misses your laughter,” said the young female staff member standing at my office door.  It had been just four months since my bride, Michelle Knoll, had earned her angel wings following her 39 month battle against… Read More

„Boys Don’t Cry”

February 6, 2019 by Herb Knoll

„Boys Don’t Cry. It’s not manly. Get over it!” Something was wrong. Men who followed the Facebook page, “Widowers Support Network,” just weren’t actively using it as a grief recovery tool. Then, in March of 2018, it hit me. Widowed men who sought out the services of my ministry, the… Read More

But she is not like my wife

January 15, 2019 by Stanley Kissel Ph.D.

First relationship after being widowed A friend of mine, let’s call him Harry, decided to start dating three months following the death of his wife. They had been married for 44 years. After a few dates he began lamenting, “But they’re not like my wife”. Friends and family members tried… Read More

Becoming a Widower with Young Children

May 23, 2018 by Stanley Kissel, Ph.D.

How can a widower with young children grief? So your wife just died. Your four year old is puzzled by all the commotion in the house. One minute he is asking for his mother, the next he is playing happily with a favorite toy. Your 11 year old son has… Read More

Unlocking Grief

January 12, 2018 by Stanley Kissle, Ph.D.

I recently heard someone refer to moving forward after the loss of a loved one as “Unlocking Grief.” That started me thinking. The loss of a wife is one of the major traumatic events in a man’s life. As with all traumatic events, the way he copes with it will… Read More

When Adult Children Say, “Don’t!”

July 26, 2017 by Stanley Kissel, Ph.D.

When a widowed father finds happiness in his first new relationship, hopefully his adult children will be supportive. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. I recently saw the movie version of “Middle of the Night,’ an adaption of an early Paddy Chayefsky television drama. The movie tells the story… Read More

Grieving Is Individual

January 6, 2017 by Stanley Kissel, Ph.D.

Grieving is not a permanent process that follows one of life’s major stresses. Grieving is the body’s way of coping with an overwhelming shock after the loss of a loved one. Some religions prescribe a specific course of behavior following the death of a spouse or family member— tasks to… Read More