Date: April 9th, 2006 10:43:30 a.m.

THE LOST MY PARTNER NEWSLETTER

VOL. III, Issue 1 January, 2006

Brought to you monthly by Laurie Spector & Ruth Spector Webster, authors of Lost My Partner ­ What’ll I Do?; A Clear, Practical Guide For Coping and Finding Strength When Your Spouse Dies

NOTE: Our new mailing address is:

McCormick Press,

c/o P.O. Box 6877,

Beverly Hills, Ca 90212-6877

Hello and welcome to our newsletter! We know how losing a spouse can turn your whole world upside down. It can also make concentrating on anything, even an online newsletter really difficult. Just as we’ve done with our bereavement book, Lost My Partner ­ What’ll I Do?, we specially designed this newsletter to make getting valuable professional advice “user-friendly”. Each month we offer comfort, reassurance and practical strategies as well as useful tips from our readers.

We want to make this newsletter on ongoing source of support you can turn to any time, so please let us know how we can make it more relevant for you. We welcome any suggestions or ideas that you’d like to share with us.

Let us hear from you at: contact@lostmypartner.com

Thanks for joining us.

Warmest Wishes,

Ruth and Laurie

MONTHLY FEATURE

A NEW YEAR; WHAT'S AHEAD for YOU?

The holidays are finally over. Congratulate yourself on having survived. As you look ahead to the coming year, what do you feel? Dread, hope or a combination of both?

Depending upon how recently your loss occurred, you may experience dread if:

1. This will be a year of firsts, i.e., first birthday, wedding anniversary, and/or other special occasions since the loss.

2. You are wondering where to turn for support.

3. You ask yourself, “ How can I put my life back together now that my spouse is gone?”

If some time has passed since the loss, you may be facing the future with hope as you:

1. Think about ways to enlarge your circle of friends, (you may have lost some, especially couple friends, now that you are widowed).

2. Redefine how you see yourself. What strengths have you gained and in what ways are you more confident?

3. Consider trying new activities, which are good ways to gain both of the above.

Recognize that while so much in your life has changed due to your loss, trust yourself to learn how to weather the changes and challenges in the year ahead.

YOUR QUESTIONS

"I’ve been attending a weekly widowed group for several months and I think it’s time I moved on. I just don’t seem to get out of it what I used to. How do I know for sure if I’m ready to leave this group? " Rosemary S.

In any ongoing group, each member is always at a different place emotionally. If you find that you’ve outgrown the benefits of this type of support, speak privately to the group leader about your feelings. Together, the two of you can reach the best decision. If the decision is to leave the group, the leader should make it comfortable for you to say your goodbyes to the others.

Discovered a coping strategy that works for you? Share it with others in future newsletters. Email us at: contact@lostmypartner.com

If you enjoy this newsletter, please tell your friends and/or colleagues about it.

If you’re interested in obtaining a copy/copies of the book, Lost My Partner ­ What’ll I Do?, telephone toll free at 1-877-727-3814 or visit our website: www.lostmypartner.com

(Copyright 2006 by Laurie J. Spector, M.S.W. and Ruth Spector Webster, M.S.W. All rights and all media reserved.)