What if you're dating someone who has different political views or other beliefs? What if they don't enjoy the same activities? When do those issues become dealbreakers? The answer may surprise you.
Partner Loss Panel and Healing After Loss
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a Partner Loss Panel with Michele Neff Hernandez, Jill Johnson, and Karla Wheeler. It was part of The Open to Hope International Day of Healing After Loss. You can watch the panel session below.
Spring Snow: A Poem
Spring Snow
Late March's winds doth chill and bite,
A snowstorm fierce, a winter's sight,
With icy flakes that veil the sky,
And gusts of wind that howl and sigh.
Yet mingled with this icy grace,
There's also fear etched on each face,
For winter's grip doth hold us tight,
And keeps us locked in chilly night.
The winds may blow and snow may swirl,
Yet nature's calm remains unfurled,
For soon the thaw will break the spell,
And winter's grip shall bid farewell.
— Abel Keogh
3/25/2023
How long does it take to get to know someone?
How long does it take to know if the person you're dating is someone you can spend the rest of your life with? Hint: It's not as long as you think.
Love Slipped In: A Poem
Love Slipped In
Love slipped in through an open door,
Quietly, without a sound or roar,
A tender bloom in a barren moor,
In my heart, forevermore.
— Abel Keogh 3/18/23
Dating After the Loss of Your Spouse
From Giddy:
On his first date with another woman after losing his wife to suicide, Abel Keogh was overcome with guilt and betrayal.
"I felt like I was cheating on my late wife," he wrote on his website.
It took about five dates for Keogh, an author and a relationship coach in Utah, to shake the guilt and enjoy another woman's company. Within a few months, he met his now-wife, Juliana.
Although every widow or widower's journey is unique, Keogh's experience isn't altogether unusual. Dating is often a whirlwind for everyone, but it's distinctly complex for surviving spouses.
***
According to Keogh, fully opening your heart to new love is a challenging, multifaceted process. Along with inner work and intimate communication, forging a new relationship may require significant changes.
"There's a price to pay when it comes to starting a new relationship, and many widows and widowers aren't willing to pay it," he said. "The new love isn't going to plop down and take the place of the late spouse. You need to create a new life with them. A successful, long-term relationship may require redefining relationships with family and friends, taking down photos of the late spouse, selling or redecorating your home, and doing other things that show your new love that they are number one."
I Dreamed I Met Your Future Wife
Listen to the First Chapter of Room for Two by Abel Keogh
Good news! The audiobook version of Room for Two is now available wherever audiobooks are sold. Narrated by yours truly, this book takes a look at the year of Abel Keogh's life following his late wife’s suicide and how he learned to open my heart to Julianna. Listen at the video below.
Content Warning: This chapter contains a graphic depiction of suicide.
Dating a widower brought up questions and issues I didn't want to think about
Room for Two Audiobook Now Available
The audiobook version of Room for Two is now available wherever audiobooks are sold. Narrated by yours truly, this book takes a look at the year of my life following my late wife’s suicide and how I learned to open my heart to Julianna. Start listening today!