your words

Yesterday I published a post about the comments I have received since I started the blog seven months ago. By the end of the day www.lifeasawidower.com clocked its 700,000th view - a pretty mind blowing figure given that the subject matter, grief, appeared to me to be something people were afraid to discuss when my wife died nine months ago.Between the blog, its Facebook page and Twitter feed, my email account and even traditional post, I've received many thousands of messages and comments of empathy and encouragement, sympathy and support. The honest truth is that some days they've been hard to manage. Sometimes I've been so overwhelmed by my own grief that I haven't been able to muster the energy to face an inbox full of messages. But today I feel pretty strong and I'd really like to ask for some help.I mentioned yesterday that I was writing a chapter for my forthcoming book about the initial response to the blog. Well I guess I undersold what I was trying to achieve. What I'm hoping to do is draft a section that looks at how opening up about grief can have the potential to help others through it. I'd really like to include some first hand accounts - either named or confidential - about how the blog has assisted in this either directly or indirectly.I know from the many messages I've received that it has enabled some people to better articulate their own grief. For some it has helped them to better understand what their bereaved loved ones are going through. It's helped others to have a better appreciation for what they have in life and perhaps to count their blessings. I believe it has also connected people facing similar tragic circumstances, which has in turn helped people to build their own support networks.This is an exercise that I could do on my own from the messages I have already been sent, but I have a feeling that firsthand accounts will be stronger and richer. I understand that many of the messages I'm sent are from people in a lot of pain and the channel they come through very much informs their content. For example, most people who contact me through Facebook Messenger at some point tend to apologise for waffling, but those who write emails often send beautifully worded essays and these frequently form the basis of guest posts.So if you feel you would like to submit something in your own words that may go on to appear in the book, please do so either as a reply to this post or via one of the channels listed in this link. Although the content starts with the blog, this is not intended as a navel-gazing exercise. What I'm hoping to demonstrate through genuine testimonials is how starting a discussion about grief has the potential to help others through it.Thanks so much in advance.Ben