Dear Slicer Friends,
Life is full of bumps in the road that challenge the heart and cause anxiety. There have been small bumps and huge ones in my lifetime, but I weathered the traumas along the way with my husband for 48 years until last year.
I am sharing the beginning of a lament poem that I wrote last year. A sudden illness that we thought was from weight loss with Ozempic led to a traumatic series of decline that occurred within less than a month. I felt as though I was walking on the edge of darkness.
(c) CVarsalona, 2026
Loss and grief are difficult emotions to handle amongst the ordinary and not-so-ordinary happenings of last year. Each stage of my bereavement journey took me through dark passages and weird dreams. In the beginning, everything seemed unreal because of the unexpected diagnosis that echoed like a foghorn. My husband's body was ravaged by a rare, incurable form of cancer in the pancreas. The continuous decline and sleepless nights broke his spirit. We hardly had time to deal with the big picture with his constant infusions and falls. Then, the end drew near. The family felt the sting of what was to come. Friends in the community formed a team. Dinners were delivered. Prayers were ongoing. Family was supportive. Devoted priests and staff offered spiritual support, a lovely memorial mass, and a luncheon for all those who attended the ceremony. The beginning part of my journey was surreal. Thankfully, writing seems to bring a sense of calmness to my mind, spirit, and body, so I write to help the sting of loss go away.
Thank you to those in the Two Writing Teachers community who listen and comment.
Day2, March 2, 2026
12th year with Two Writing Teachers