I didn’t have any real understanding about widowhood until I became one. The overwhelming magnitude of losing a spouse is the single most difficult thing I’ve ever had to experience. After my 32-year marriage ended in divorce, I was content in being single. I changed careers from education to entrepreneur, relocated back to my hometown and was enjoying time doing some things I enjoyed doing, like traveling, that I hadn’t been able to do during most of my marriage. Within a few months, God brought an amazing man into my life, and we hit it off instantly. Neither of us had planned on getting remarried, but God had other plans. We married in March 2020 and began our lives together. Ours was a precious friendship and partnership. Del was an encourager and my biggest supporter as I expanded my art gallery and gift shop business, and together we built it into a success. Although he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2016, he had received several chemotherapy treatments to manage it successfully. In 2023, his oncologist suggested that he have his bladder removed to avoid any recurrences, and he would reconstruct a neobladder in its place. My husband agreed and surgery was scheduled. Three days before he was admitted to the hospital, a final scan was done. Within 24 hours, we received a call, as we were sitting in our driveway, and the oncologist dropped the devastating news that the surgery needed to be postponed and we needed to get to the hospital to place a port within the next two days. He said, “Someone will call you to arrange an appointment and you need to be ready to go. You have Duffused Large B-Cell Lymphoma, and if we don’t get the treatment started in the next three days, it could kill you within the next 60 days.” I will never forget his words and the two of us looking at each other with tears running down our cheeks. We didn’t say anything, but we just looked at each other, got out of the car, and held each other for what seemed like an eternity. We lived 100 miles from the hospital in Phoenix, in a small rural town in Arizona, so we made arrangements for the business, our dog and booked a hotel. Over the next two years, Del received treatment after treatment for two types of lymphoma, had a stem-cell transplant and struggled with a compromised immune system that resulted in numerous infections. He lost over a hundred pounds and never recovered after the transplant, losing the fight in August 2025.

During his battle, so many things changed. Well, actually almost everything changed. Except one…Jesus! He is the only constant in my life and without the hope in Him, I doubt I would be where I am today. God has brought me on this journey, but not alone. As difficult as it was to go through this, I will always be grateful for the man and husband that he was and the time that God gave us together.

In the midst of sorrow, my blog serves as a beacon of hope for grieving widows. My prayer is that it will provide heartfelt support and encouragement, guiding you through the challenging journey of loss with faith and compassion. My hope is that you find solace and peace again beneath the wings of Jesus. Through shared stories, resources, and a community of understanding, we can discover the hope of Jesus to uplift your spirit and remind you that you are not alone in this season.