Category Archives: Spiritual Challenges

The Mary Mac Show | Death of a Spouse

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 82, we discuss the challenges we face after the death of our husband or wife and how widows and widowers struggle to build a new life.

Widowhood is, by far, one of the most stressful and overwhelming losses we can experience.

Whether we have lost a husband or wife who was with us for a few years or decades, the relationship we shared with them was, more than likely, the most intimate one we had in our lifetime.

They spent more time with us than any other person.

While we feel a great bond to our children, our spouse is the one with whom we started our adult journey before our children were born.

And when they become adults and move onto their own lives, it is our spouse who is still next to us to live the remainder of our days.

Even if we divorce and remarry, that person is the one we share the majority of our waking hours with, apart from working.

We wake with them.

We go to sleep with them.

We enjoy all sorts of experiences with them.

They are our best friends who listen to us when we are sad, confused, angry, frustrated.

They hold us when we cry.

They console us when we are hurting.

They are our confidante, unlike any other.

So when they die, we are devastated.

And recovering from our grief is difficult and a long-term process.

Listen in to Episode 82 to learn what happens at the beginning of widowhood.

And remember, when it becomes overwhelming, do reach out to grief counselors at hotlines (see below) to listen and console you.

Sending you my love. xoxo

Additional Notes:

Visit Crisis Connections at my website to telephone a trained counselor to speak with whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, frightened, fearful or any host of emotions. Even if it is a suicide hotline, do not think they cannot help you. You do not need to feel suicidal to speak with these wonderful counselors. They are there to listen to you.

I encourage you to find support groups for widows and widowers by searching online for “widowed groups” in your city/town. They usually meet a few times each month at the local church, senior center, hospital or hospice in your area.

Use the Emotional Freedom Technique for Healing.

You can watch Marissa Peer’s “I Am Enough” meditation.

Treat yourself to a lovely gift from our Heart of Gold “I Remember” Products from The Mary Mac Store.

Remember, a portion of all proceeds help fund The Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., the first national non-profit public charity which benefits children, teens, young adults after a loved one’s death which I established many years ago.

And remember to sign up for my private email list so we can always stay in touch, since social media is no longer reliable. Receive my ebook 21 Things You Must Know About The Grieving Process for immediate download.

xoxo

The Mary Mac Show | Spiritual Challenges

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 79, we discuss how our faith is challenged after the death of a loved one and how we might reconnect and rebuild our relationship with God.

Many of us go through a difficult time regarding our faith after someone very special in our life dies.

It is nothing to be ashamed of. Most of us are challenged this way.

Some have the courage to discuss it aloud. Others keep it inside, harboring deep resentment and pain.

We wonder why God may have left us. Why He may have not heard our prayers when our loved one was dying.

And especially wonder why a loved one could have been taken in a sudden way.

Unfortunately there are no answers to our questions and this makes us wonder what to believe.

Listen in to Episode 79 to hear my life lessons from the deaths I endured and how I settled things for myself regarding my faith in God.

Bless you, my friend. My warrior!

xoxo

The Mary Mac Show | The Gift of Simplicity

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 57, we discuss how simplifying our surroundings and the way we live our life can lead to a calmer everyday existence while we are working through our grieving process.

So often when we are grieving a significant individual in our lives, we don’t take the time to consider how we can simplify things so we don’t feel so overwhelmed.

In this episode we look at various ways to decrease our tasks and pressure. It helps us to think through this process and minimize our lifestyle so we release additional pressure that is not needed.

A website that I ran across recently helps us to scream out our frustration and anger. Go to Just Scream! A wonderful service where you call in to this telephone number and literally just scream into the phone and hang up. Very cathartic.

(561) 567-8431 – www.justscream.baby

The Mary Mac Show | The Power of Forgiveness

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

This week we speak about a difficult and painful subject. Forgiving others and ourselves is something that few want to talk about and less want to do.

But when unforgiveness is left to fester inside for a long time, it can lead to emotional, physical and spiritual strife which does not serve us well.

And, yes, this topic may be too early in your grieving process and I can understand that. But do take the time to learn what can happen when we let things build causing all kinds of havoc on our mind, body and spirit.

Join me in listening in to Episode 43 to take a look at what happens when we are unable or unwilling to forgive and how it affects us.

Leave your comments below.

Additional Notes:

Here you will find a search of several EFT/Emotional Freedom Technique videos by Brad Yates on the topic of forgiveness which I believe will be of great benefit for you.

Meditation Videos to help you rest.  Choose which resonate with you.

Grab my free ebook, 21 Things You Need to Know About the Grieving Process, right here on my site.

Also, I hope you will help support my podcast by using the links on the site. It would be much appreciated.

Please share with anyone you know who might benefit from this knowledge. Also subscribe, rate and review this podcast on whichever podcast platform you listened in.

xoxo

All Souls Day

Catholics around the world commemorate All Souls Day today, November 2nd. When I was a child I would attend service with my class. Later I would attend a lovely ceremony at one of the cemeteries where my loved ones were buried, under a beautiful white tent.

It seems to me today is a special day. A day to reflect not only on the lives who have left this world before us, but what you personally have endured since their deaths.

Good days, bad days, and sheer ugly days. Reaccessing where you’re heading without them. Recovering, if ever so slowly.

Sometimes you have that pity party and blame God for everything. This is natural and normal. I have yet to meet even the most devote person who hasn’t confided in me that they have bargained with Him for their loved one to somehow return, or being fiercely angry at the circumstances of their death or just simply because they aren’t here with them.

Remember, God is almighty. That means he can take you being livid with Him, regardless of what part you believe He played in your loved one’s death.

So on this day let us honor all the Souls who have gone before us and believe, one day, we’ll meet them again.