Episode 126
You are listening to the Life Reconstructed podcast with me, Teresa Amaral Beshwate, grief expert, bestselling author, and widow. I'm so glad you're here because in this and every episode I shine a light on the widowed way forward.
In this guest episode, I sit down with Linda Smith. Linda lost her rock Larry after an illness. Her life with him was an adventure, and after his loss, she was left to figure out who she was and what her next chapter would look like. She was saddled with. Guilt along with many other difficult feelings, and eventually found her way to curiosity and courage.
Today, she carries on Larry's legacy of wisdom and adventure, full of newfound compassion, and a desire to help others. I found Linda's story inspirational, and I know you will too. Hello and welcome to another episode of the podcast. I'm so happy and honored to have former client Linda Smith. Join me today.
Linda, welcome. Thank you so much for being here and sharing your story.
Well, thank you, Teresa, this, it's an honor and it's definitely been a journey and I've been happy to share that with you.
I remember, gosh, we spoke over the phone. You were pretty newly widowed. And of course we start talking about horses because that's what horse women do.
And I, I knew then you were such a great fit for, for coaching and I think we, we agreed on that and, and I hoped to get to work with you someday and sure enough, I did get to work with you and it was such a joy. Um, Linda, to be just a small part of your story, tell us your story. Okay,
well, I've been married to Larry for 28 years.
We both, it was a second marriage for both of us. He brought in three girls. I had two boys. And all the calamity that goes with blending a family was very much a part of our lives. He was an entrepreneurial person. I was an employee type of person. He was a risk taker. I was a rule follower. He was very wise with a lot of funny quotes and, and I was maybe the more serious part of the, of the group, but I would say Life with Larry was totally an adventure.
So we did a lot together. We hung with our kids and, and put them as a priority too. He also raised English pointer drugs for a sport called field trailing, which then led to us needing horses, which. Was the most exciting thing for me. So we Oh, you didn't, you didn't, you
didn't have horses before Larry?
No, no.
Oh gosh. I wanted horses before Larry, but this is why I said yes to do that sport, because I got horses out of the deal. So smart. So we did a lot of traveling together all over the United States with that sport. So when he, and he was very physically fit. So when he. Got his brain tumor diagnosis. It was unreal because here's this rock who is gonna live forever, and in nine months he was gone.
Mm. And so it was, it was a shock to our whole family. So I love the life we had. I love doing, doing things together. So I had to figure out who am I and what, what's my next chapter gonna look like?
Yes, you were. Remind me, you were a physical
therapist, right? Yes, yes. So, and I worked in the healthcare system, yes.
And so, um, that was my career and his was any other business he'd come up with starting. So I'm left with six dogs, six horses, five adult children, nine grandkids, and several other businesses to try and figure out,
not to mention acreage and acreages.
Yes. Uhhuh. Yeah.
Wow. And. Now had you retired?
I had, we had, I had retired about two years, two years prior to his death.
So we really only had a year that he wasn't sick together.
Gosh, cram. How often do we hear that story? Yes, my goodness.
But it wasn't gonna happen to us, so Yeah, absolutely.
What a beautiful life. Now he passed how long ago?
It's a year and a half ago this month. So I mean, he, in December, he passed away three days before Christmas, and now it's a year and a half.
I forget how new you are, Linda. So when we started working together, well, you read my book? Mm-hmm. Early, early on then, and then we started working together maybe six months ago, I think.
Correct? Yeah. I had started in a small group or a group. Grief class that I didn't like. I, I just was so raw and it was grief of all kinds and I am such an empathetic person.
I think you do that when you're in healthcare. And I couldn't handle all the other grief around me too. Perhaps it was just too early, but it wasn't for me. And I realized I had to step back and go at this a whole different way.
I love how you said that it wasn't for me. I, I remember someone saying, or I read somewhere very early on.
If it's not for you, that's okay. Put it right back where you found it. And keep going. And I was so relieved to hear that. I think I had put so much pressure on myself to make everything work for me or fit for me. And the truth is it's just not for me. Nothing against anyone in the group. It just wasn't a fit for you.
So you just set it back down and you, and you kept going, searching for what was a fit. That's so beautiful, Linda.
Very cool. Thank you. One of the questions, or you alluded to earlier when we were conversing was what are, what were my biggest struggles? And you can imagine after a loss of my rock, I mean, I still was an independent person, but I had to figure out who, who this PE person was.
Yeah. So that was just a lot of confusion. I really, and I really didn't know anything about grief. I thought I did, but nothing like losing your spouse. That was different. I was really mad at God too. Oh, I just thought he was going to heal Larry. And so then I felt guilty for being mad at God. So then I transferred my anger to being mad at Larry 'cause he went to heaven and I'm stuck here.
And so, um, and then I felt guilty for that emotion also. So these little bits of guilt were just kind of beaten at me. So I was like being struck with little arrows of guilt, I guess. But one of the bigger things I dealt with was grief, fog, and I, I. My focus was so limited. I'd make a list, I'd lose the list.
I couldn't remember what to put on the list, and I just didn't understand my lack of ability to concentrate and make decisions. So that was so common. So common. But then we're sure we're going crazy. Oh, I thought something was seriously wrong. I thought I might be the next one with the tumor or something.
With the brain tumor. I, and then in the middle of all this, we had just, we were in the process of selling our business. And so I was trying to complete that and that was overwhelming. And then I had contracts to make for other businesses and I mean, any one of those alone would, would tax you. But then when you don't have a brain that's working well, it was a tough, tough time for me.
Absolutely. And, and were you, so you were concerned that there was something seriously wrong. Did you also kick yourself for not functioning the way former you would have functioned? I just, I just didn't understand.
I thought, yeah, I'm thinking, Linda, you ought be able to do this. Surely you can go to the grocery store and pick up more than three things, you know?
And it was, it was really hard. So that was, that
is so common. So you're an independent woman, right? Mm-hmm. And you're the kind of person that gets things done. Mm-hmm. Organized. If I know you well, I think I'm describing former Linda pretty well. Mm-hmm. And then you don't, couldn't find former Linda. Yeah.
Couldn't
find, I didn't
know where I was. Yeah. Didn't recognize any part of this, Linda. It's so, so common for many, many people.
There was, I had that un unexpected moments of overwhelming grief too, had come and go and I thought, I thought it was a linear path, but it was like peaks and valleys. A lot of, a lot of up and downs.
The last thing I had to do was find, I wanted to talk about Larry, so I kind of would test out people who I can, they handle me talking about him and, and it's. He was so funny that it was fun to laugh about things he did as a good way for me to remember him, but not everybody could handle that, so he just tested the waters on that too.
It's a whole learning curve, isn't it? Relearning all of your friendships, relationships, who can handle what, who's comfortable with what, and you're having to learn that all at your worst.
Oh, yes. Mm-hmm. You just don't process the same.
No. No, not at all. Did you feel like, Linda, there were places that you no longer belonged?
You know, it, it was part of, I just felt like, not a couple. I mean, we, I mean the things where couples would go out and they still invite me. I just felt like a fifth wheel and, and they didn't make, they were so inclusive. It wasn't their fault. It was just me feeling like that. That, those things I didn't belong.
Um, we also had a tradition of sitting in the morning in front of the, the fireplace and there were two chairs there and having coffee together and that, you know, it was very difficult to not have that other chair feel full. So he was gone.
Absolutely. Your brain has to relearn every single thing about your life.
Right?
Right. Did
you feel supported? And even in this not very grief savvy world that we live in.
You know, I was very blessed. I had, I had friends from church that were supportive. I had the pickleball group, which was, it was really important for me to get back into that. For one, I just needed, I was hit something and the ball was good thing to hit at.
So, I mean, it was just like a good release of, of frustration. Um, there's a lot of laughter anywhere in comradery, so, so that group of people were tremendous support people and they turned, they turned up and. I loved helping. I had to learn to ask for help, but, um, that's not a norm for me. But they, they also were close enough they could see and just do.
So that was a huge blessing.
Okay. I have to pause you there because our listeners need to know where you just were. What you were doing on the topic of pickleball, you must share, Linda.
Oh gosh. Um, I qualified, well a girlfriend and I are playing pickleball. We, we got medaled in the Iowa senior games, and so the Iowa or the National senior Games happened to be in Des Moines where I'm from this year.
So that was, we didn't have to travel, so we thought, let's just go ahead, we qualified, let's go. So I just competed in the national senior. Pickleball tournament this weekend. It was, um, amazing experience with people all over the nation and out of the 20 seventeens we finished 15th, so we were just happy that we weren't last for one, but also just performed well.
Did you ever think you would compete on a national stage?
No, not at all. Not at all. That was a big accomplishment. I know Larry's in heaven going at a girl, so yes,
absolutely. So tell me about learning to ask for help. You're an independent woman. You're a horse woman. You figure things out and suddenly you're in this situation where you had to learn to ask for help and, and maybe not even ask, but receive.
I think that was the challenging part. People could see what you needed and would help you, but it was, it's in the receiving comes the discomfort. Am I right?
Correct. It was hard. It is, and it's still hard to have somebody. Help you. I, one of our friend's husband is a firefighter and he didn't think the locks on my door were good enough, and he was right.
I was feeling insecure and unsafe anyway without, and he said, there's no way you're gonna have a house like this. He changed all the locks in the house and in the barn and everything, and it was, I was so overwhelmed and appreciative. I just haven't. Received like that before, and it was a blessing to them.
They said, don't do anything for us. This makes us feel good. Larry would do it for my wife. Well we wanna do it for you. And I had to accept that. So the way that I balanced that out was make sure I wrote a lot of thank you notes or sent funny notes. And so that made it feel like I let them know how much I appreciated.
So yeah, it's so much more comfortable, isn't it, to be on the giving side. Absolutely. Absolutely. The doing side. And yet when your person dies, people, people don't know how, don't know what to say, don't know what to do, and they very much want to say or do something useful, and then suddenly you need new locks.
It's like it's a way that they love you. Love is a verb, and we don't wanna take away their ability to love on us, right? Just because we're uncomfortable receiving. But it's a tricky situation.
I, I'm very fortunate to have a friend Carol that recognizes I won't ask, and so she just said, we are going to do this, or we see this, and that helped.
And she gathered people around and orchestrated things I would never have thought of doing. I became a better person because of what they did for me.
Mm. And may we all be a little bit like Carol with our eyes open so. It's only been a year and a half. Mm-hmm. It is. So, you're so new and you're, and yet you've made such incredible strides forward.
Linda, tell me what has helped you the most in this year and a half?
You know, I knew that question was coming and, and I had to really think about it. I think the most thing was I kept curious. I had to stay curious. I didn't know anything about ING for a husband and, and the academic Linda goes into this thing, I don't know what, what is normal and not normal.
Or for one, I thought I was crazy for a while and I thought, I gotta figure this out. So I started, I, you know, again, I tried a group that wasn't for me. So then I went with a, with your, I found your book online on a Facebook thing, and I ordered the book and the workbook. And I took that self-study approach and I took a deep dive into to that.
I journaled through all that time too. Um, I listened to your podcasts and, and I started to really understand the journey I was on, and that curiosity was probably the saving grace for me. Um, feel good. I love, love
hearing you say curiosity. That's that's what we don't naturally think of. It's not how we naturally feel.
Mm-hmm. And yet you chose it because you figured out it was the way forward.
Yeah, and, and really I had no choice. I had to keep going so I could not, I wanted to curl up in a ball and I had to make that choice. I just gotta keep going. There was too many people and things and animals depended on me. So. Um, it was time to go and that one of the other really great things that happened that helped me was making a courage list, and I don't know if I got that from you or I don't know where that came from, but I started in the, started with, and I looked back at my courage list, this.
Morning before we talked and it was things like, I went to the grocery store today early on. I, um, actually put hay out for the horses without eating it all over myself. Um, it was silly things. It, and it started, and that my courage list was a way for me to recognize I can do this. And so the pages go on and the comp and the accomplishments get bigger.
But I think recognizing that was huge for me.
I love that. I remember the day I told my brother, 'cause he was coming by twice a day to feed my horses. 'cause I, I was just stunned. Mm-hmm. And I remember telling him, I can remember to feed my horses and I don't know how, maybe it was a weekend or something.
And I thought, okay, that's an accomplishment. I'll take it. I can take ownership of, of keeping them fed. And it felt, it felt big. At the time, I think so often our brains will have us stand on this, on this shaky foundation of you're failing. You don't know how to do this. You're the least qualified person to, to do this life without your, without your spouse.
And what, what you've done with your courage list has been no brain. Look back. Remember this was hard and we did it, and then this, and then this. I can only imagine the length of your courage list, but I think. Tell me if I'm wrong, Linda, but I think it gets your brain back on the proper and solid foundation.
I think that did for me anyway. It definitely, definitely, because it was, yes, it was a yes thing, it was a positive thing, so I was looking for bright spots in my life and not dark spots, and so that was an attitude adjustment for me too.
Even in the, in the wake of Larry's death, you were able to say, brain, let's find some bright spots too.
They must be here. That's powerful, Linda. Thank you.
And last but not least on the greatest thing was my faith. I said, I mean, I didn't, I was so mad at God for a while, but when I finally stepped back and understood, then I had to throw my trust in God and know that there's a bigger story that I don't see and there's a plan for me, and I have a choice.
And he kept me here for a reason. So I've got work to do. So,
yes, I think so often our faith changes in some way, shape or form. Either it we seriously step back and question it or it gets stronger or, um, I don't know. Probably any number of things can happen with faith and what you've experienced is, is a lot of that, it seems like.
Mm-hmm.
It has, and my faith community has been supportive. I've, my personal prayer life has been good and it, it's just letting go of a lot of things that I can't control, and so I recognize that.
Yeah. I remember thinking, you know, many times I just would have a tantrum, like a 2-year-old, and the equivalent of throwing myself on the ground and just being so mad.
But I, I do remember thinking if a parent can allow a child to have a tantrum and, and love them anyway, like how much, how much more can God let us be mad and have a tantrum and cry it out and kick and scream and love us anyway and be waiting for us when we're ready to pick ourselves back up?
Absolutely.
So, Linda, you mentioned having read my book and did doing the journal and. Linda is very academic in her approach. I can say this 'cause I know you well enough. She dots the i's and crosses the T's. And so Linda, I know that was done in incre with, with incredible focus and done very well. What's the difference between that self-guided approach and then having joined, um, the, the group life reconstructed?
Yeah. It was in September, I think. Was it this fall? Yes. The life reconstructed group, it was a group of five of us with you, and it was intimate enough, but it was all like losses. They were all widows, so it wasn't like I had to grieve at somebody's child, which, which I just didn't have the bandwidth before.
But these, it was, and it was personal enough and comfortable. It was fun to see Teresa coaching others in situations when I didn't ask the question, and they did to see you in action, but maybe I had that same question. It was, it was information I can use, not just in grief. There was tools and tricks that you could use just in life in general, so that I was ready.
And I think there maybe there's a readiness to, to join and, and maybe bear your soul a little bit more. Some people can do it earlier, some people later in life. I found it at the right time for me and I am kind of a loss because I don't have that group right now. So
yeah, it's a like-minded because you did, you did a grief group, you had some experience in a grief group.
Yes. The losses were all different. And also probably everyone wasn't as like-minded as the people who, um. You know, sign up for a coaching group. Those are, it's in, it's in a way very curated because they are like-minded people who are, who are raising their hand to take efficient strides forward. It's not to commiserate though, I hope that everyone has someone to commiserate to, um mm-hmm.
With, but in a coaching container, everyone's here to learn and to grow and take, take forward strides and so. I, I guess I'm asking, did you notice that, did you appreciate the like-minded nature of your, your fellow, um, ladies in the group?
You, you said it well, that was exactly what you experienced is you experienced people that, that are curious too and are, are wanting to become better or at least trying to figure out and understand why they're not.
From someone who was stuck in their life to a brand new griever. It was, it was a comradery that I didn't anticipate having. Yeah. And, and the other part was nice 'cause I could do it from home, the safety of my home. So if I, you were safe to cry, you were safe to laugh, and we were all very much just wanting to learn and to move forward.
Yes. Such a great group.
I'm certain that lifelong friendships have formed what will be lifelong friendships in these groups, just by way of, of that, the curated nature of, of the people in a coaching container. What were the, maybe you've already mentioned, Linda, but what were the highlights of the group for you?
For one, meeting people from all over and whole different areas, different walks of life, different jobs, and just getting to meet people. Um, that was great for me. I like people anyway, so that was fun. It was, the highlights were just surprisingly how even at different, uh, levels along the grief journey, we were all.
Kind of going through the same types of things. So there was a unification with that, that we just like, I get it, I, or either I was there or I'm going through that now also. So there was that, and the other highlight was, again, having new coaches through that. It was, it was learning to process, well what, why are you feeling that way?
What self-talk are you doing that's creating that? And we did some deep dives in some things and peeled back a lot of layers of that onion. Then found out. A lot of root causes for one that I was never aware was there and recognize that sure.
We can't see our own brains, you know, not like someone else can.
And if I think about Olympic athletes, they have coaches. Mm-hmm. Because they can't be. You, you know, they can't be in it. And also seeing it objectively from a distance. And so it really helps to help have someone show you your brain at a deeper level, at a root cause level. You know, peeling that onion.
It's so powerful. And, and I think also you can watch someone get coached and see that in yourself, which maybe is even more powerful. Yeah.
Uh, it allowed me to step back and watch that process and watch the light bulbs go on and go, oh, I wonder how that applies to myself, but I didn't have to be the one in the middle of that conversation.
So yes, that was good.
Yes. So good. Well, it was such an honor and a privilege to have you in the group. You're such a wonderful contributor to the group. Thank you. Um, tell me about the life. We already heard a little bit about your pickleball life, but tell me about the life that you're creating for yourself now.
What have been some wins for you?
Well, I think one was embracing the legacy Larry left and how, how do I carry, carry his, his legacy on, which was a lot of wisdom, a lot of. Adventure, um, and honoring his contribution to a sport of the sport field trialing. So, um, that I'm embracing his legacy was just littles.
But the other one is just, I still remain curious. I still. Still wanna learn more about this and how can I use my experiences to help others? So I'm open, my eyes are open a little bit more to that and much more compassionate. So sometimes you gotta go through the tough times to realize what other people around you're going through.
So
that
helps. I a lot of, when you say
Linda carrying on his legacy, does I, it strikes me that that probably doesn't feel heavy to you, that it sounds like it's something you want to do. I could see that for some people that might feel heavy and burdensome, but for you it doesn't. Right.
No, no, it's, we have a farm where we hosted these horseback hunt dog events and everybody asked, are you gonna keep doing those?
Are you gonna Absolutely. I never thought about not doing those there, you know, there's some work for me, but everybody's very appreciative that we carry on and share the, the land that we created and the, the experience of horses and dogs together. So yes, I carry that on. His legacy is maybe some, also some of the little wise cracks.
Fun Larrys that, that have carried through our family too. So those are important to, to, to carry on. The other thing is to carry on, we had a lot of traditions around Christmas. We, I recognize that carrying those traditions may not look the same, especially for the girls who lost their father, you know, out of this.
So we talk about what do we wanna do? What tradition do we want for this Christmas? What do we want it to look like this year, knowing that next year may be different. Mm-hmm. So we carried on a lot of traditions that he had started for Christmas for our family this year, and I don't know what next year will look like.
So,
so good. And knowing it doesn't have to be a carbon copy Correct. Of what you did when he was physically here. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Powerful. Tell me this, Linda. Ha. Have you, I think you have been able to give yourself permission to feel joy, to feel. Happiness to have a great time. Mm-hmm. Tell me about that.
You know, again, it's kind of a choice.
Um, I wrote a book called One Word. I can't remember the author at this moment, but it was like, pick a word for the year and make that your mantra. Well, last January I picked a word joy. Well, about a week into that I thought, I can't do this. I'm faking it too much, and it's just too hard to, to use joy. So then I changed it to thankful.
So then I could work on the gratitude list and be just happy about the new day and things. Someplace along this year, I can use the word joy and I can use that as part of my life now. I, so, so it became something, I think God gave me joy. I began to see more of. The greatness in the world and life, and I laugh a lot.
I have good friends that make me laugh and I kind of make a choice that I've gotta look to stay in the face and keep going. So,
mm. And for some of us, for many of us feeling happy, feeling joy at first glance can be dis, can feel disrespectful. And what I've learned over the years is like my joy honors him.
Hmm. As much as any other emotion can. Is that how you would, how you see it?
Yes, I agree. Right. At first when I would feel happy, I thought, oh my gosh, I'm not grieving enough. Or, how can you be laughing at this when you know you should be doing this? And especially wondering how other people were judging my laughter at that.
But after, after I got along that journey, I realized that he wouldn't want me to be sad and he had told me. I want you to move on. You know, we had enough time to talk about that and you know, I said, oh yeah. Right. But it, I didn't realize how hard that was, but I know he's glad I'm living life. Mm-hmm.
What advice do you have for someone who's grieving a spouse?
I think it's something that you taught me was be kind to yourself. The very first time I did a phone call with you before I even started this, that was probably the thing that stuck out the most is I was pretty much beating myself up. Why can't you do this? What's wrong with you? Don't laugh, do laugh.
Why don't cry? Do cry. And it was really cut yourself some slack. Be, be kind to yourself. I think number two advice would be you do have a choice and you, and there are some days you can't even function, but there are, but you have a choice of how long are you gonna let that. Control you and, and, and I had to make myself go sometimes.
Another advice would be allow my, allow yourself to feel that was something you'd said. You know, let yourself feel those feelings. If you don't, they're gonna come out sometime and, and I'd rather get rid of 'em right now than, and the, the last thing is continue to stay curious. Tap into your resources.
Take a deep dive. I'd recommend a lot. I mean, I'd be your biggest marketer right now is jump into life, reconstructed and let yourself work through that process, but get some help along the way. Get some help.
We're so we may hardwired to DIY it to, to do it yourself. The, the most catastrophic time in our lives.
I think many of us, independent, overachieving, high functioning type people just think we should be able to figure it out. And what you're saying is get help.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Yeah.
Don't try
and do it yourself. Yeah. I spoke to, um, uh, a woman a couple months ago now. It didn't take us long to figure out she's a horse woman, rides gated horses like you, uh, like me.
And, and she had started a few of her own horses. And so give, you know that analogy of not only the horse's brain, we understand horses', brains, and um, there's some similarities with our brains, especially in grief, but also having started some of our own horses, like you train the horse, you have. Which means you approach it with a blank slate every day and you assume nothing and, and curiosity is your number one most useful feeling.
And I could hear we were just on the phone, but I could hear it clicking for her. Um, and I sincerely hope that that helped her to stay curious, just thinking of herself the way she would, a horse that she's getting to know. Truly we are getting to know ourselves anew because death changed us too. And we tend to.
Goes straight to self-criticism, mostly because we don't understand ourselves and what grief actually means when you lose a spouse. And the most useful emotion is in fact curiosity. So I so appreciate, Linda, that that's become your default, and I love that you can pass this on to others. And I'm so curious to see, to watch your journey unfold because I, I know you already help people with the tools that you've learned.
And I'm really curious to see how that unfolds in the future. Do you have any thoughts?
Well, I kind of say, God, what do you want me to do with this mess you've created here? So, you know, I, I just, I, I am waiting for the opportunity to open up or the answers. I did a, I did one small. Grief savvy training to the small group at church that I'm in just to help them understand.
And they were like, oh my gosh, we didn't know this for this. So where that goes from there, I don't know. So we'll see. So,
so good. What, what do you think made the light bulb go off for them? Like what part did you teach that they genuinely didn't know and and helped so much?
I think they didn't know that maybe the second year can be just as hard as the first in a different way.
They kind of thought at one year and done. So I said, you know, I asked for Grace to do this next year too from them because I said, don't you know, don't think I'm done yet. And then the other thing that was good is they were glad that I was affirming the right to talk about Larry and laugh. And so they were, you know, they were pretty open 'cause we laughed anyway, but, but it made them feel safer with that
lean in.
I'm so glad that you asked for Grace in this second 12 months and I hope. I hope we can all do that for grieving people and we can ask for it for ourselves that in the second 12 months, lean in. Mm-hmm. Whoever's still with you, lean in and help. Help even more. 'cause it is differently hard. I also cringe when people are saying the second year is the worst 'cause I don't think we should be scaring the new people in that way.
But I like the way you said it. It's different. Know you're not done at day 360 6. There's nothing magical about D Day 360 6. Our society thinks you're done and check the box. But no, we're not done. We're not done. There's more to come. Secondary losses hit when they hit. Some of them we can see coming. Some of them we cannot, and they do pack a punch.
And there's nothing that, there's no magic that says they're all done in the first year. It's impossible. Yeah. I love that you said that Linda, lean in and normalize the second year. Normalize every year after losing a spouse. It's different. Can be beautiful. It can be brutal, but it also can be so, so beautiful.
You're living proof of that beauty, Linda, it's, I'm sure it's a different joy, a different happy than you experienced when Larry was physically here, but it's beautiful nonetheless. Yeah.
Well, it is. It is. I never thought I'd say that I'm having a great, great year, but I am. Wow. Different. Different than planned.
Yes, absolutely. Well, it's been so fun to work with you and we do have that lifetime contract you signed that we will always stay in touch because I wanna see your journey unfold as it does. Thank you, Tracy.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for joining us, and I know your story is going to inspire so many people.
I'm grateful. Thank you. If you found this podcast helpful, I invite you to join Life Reconstructed my coaching program exclusively For widowed people, it will help you step forward toward a life you will love. Again, simply go to the sudden widow coach.com and click work with me.
