My babysitter was running late.”
“It’s fine, Sam. We haven’t started yet.” Janie looked around the circle before speaking again. “So, let’s go around the group, introduce ourselves and share how we’re feeling today. It’s up to you how much or how little you share. Whatever you are comfortable with.”
Mia felt herself tense up again. She had that feeling like when she was in school, didn’t know the answer to the question and was hoping that she wouldn’t get called on. Mia hoped Janie would start with someone else, so she could listen and get a feel for what she should say.
“Sam, why don’t you start us off,” Janie suggested.
The man next to her smiled and Mia realized unless there was another Sam in the room, that he was probably Kate’s friend, the one that had suggested she come here. She was curious to hear what he had to say.
“Hi everyone, I’m Sam. I lost my wife Mary a little over a year ago to breast cancer. I have twin seven-year-old daughters, Becky and Sarah. I’ve been here on Nantucket now for about a month. My parents are here and we live right down the street from them. Which has been great. My mother has been babysitting and the girls love seeing them. So, things are much better now than they were a month ago. But some days are still hard.
“Mary was my wife, but she was also my best friend, and I just really miss her. Some days more than others. Today was one of those days. I was driving along, and her favorite song came on the radio. She used to always sing along whenever we were in the car together, and it just hit me hard. But then I went home, and my girls ran over to see me, and it lifted my mood. So, overall, things are looking up. Just out of the blue, sometimes it still hits me hard.”
Mia looked around the room and saw that most people were nodding. They all understood. Janie motioned for the older gentleman next to Sam to go next and Mia realized she’d be last, which she appreciated. It gave her a chance to listen to everyone’s stories and to get to know them a bit.
“I’m Ken and it’s been six months since my Susan passed. We were married for fifty years. Today was a good day. Susan never let me in the kitchen, she said that was her territory, and she was a darn good cook, so I didn’t argue with her about it. But I didn’t know how to even boil water. My granddaughter had to teach me how to cook, and I picked it up okay. I can make hotdogs and beans just fine. But a few days ago, she taught me how to bake a cake. And that was something else! You just open a box, dump it in a bowl with oil and eggs, and then bake it. So, when I went to the store today, I noticed there was a sale on those cake mix boxes and I bought a half dozen of ‘em. Those brownies on the side table? I made those myself, just this afternoon! So, that’s all I have to say.”
“Ken, your brownies came out great,” Barbara said. A few others chimed in and Ken looked pleased. They continued on around the group. Some people were in worse shape than others. The ones who had lost a loved one more recently were having the most difficult time. Candy, who was the youngest, had lost her husband only three months ago to a drunk driver.
“Yesterday would have been our one-year wedding anniversary. We were going to go to New York City for the weekend and see Hamilton on Broadway. I just can’t believe he’s gone. I don’t feel like things are ever going to be normal again. Yesterday was just really tough. It hit me a lot harder than I realized it would.”
“I’m sorry, Candy,” Janie said. She looked around the group. “I know you’ve all heard that the first year is the hardest and that it will get better after that. But please know that everyone is different, and it’s okay to feel what you’re feeling.”
Finally, it was Mia’s turn.
“Hi, I’m Mia. I lost my fiancé a little over a year ago in a car accident. It happened two weeks before our wedding. I work as a wedding planner, too, and I love my job. But it was hard for a