I enjoy marriage.

I really enjoyed being married. My first marriage was by no means perfect. In fact, there were a lot of struggles in those forty years. Especially the first twenty.

We found joy.

In the latter half of our marriage, Bill and I found a better way to communicate. We climbed mountains, hiked throughout the Pacific Northwest, and rock climbed. We found joy after working through dysfunction. We enjoyed our empty nest, threw ourselves into hiking with our extra time and money.

Never in my dreams could I have envisioned being a widow.

For ten years, Bill struggled with a chronic illness, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. In 2006, he died of complications from that disease. No amount of imagination could prepare me for this event. When I was in ICU and they told me Bill was gone, I was in shock. I was empty. My husband, my lover, the father of my children was gone, never to return. Never in my dreams could I have envisioned being a widow. It was far worse. As I wrote yesterday, I walked the road of grief and began to think I’d like to marry again.

https://shirleymozena.com/2016/12/08/what-about-my-vows/

We rejoiced in our union.

Amazingly, a man did come into my life. We immediately fell in love and were so perfectly matched, it was incredible. In August of 2008, we married. We made a home together, blended our families, and rejoiced at our union.

Shirley and Blair in 2008

We loved.

Little did we know we would only have seventeen months of marriage. Even though we didn’t know it would end so quickly, we didn’t waste any time while we were married. We traveled. We loved. We kept a short account and had no regrets. My only regret was the abruptness of Blair’s death and my great loss.

I faced widowhood again.

Again, I faced widowhood. It was good that this time I didn’t have to go to a job, and I threw myself into working through my grief. I wrote a book of our story.

https://redemption-press.com/shop/product/21986

My heart began to heal.

Eventually, my heart began to heal and I was open to love another, though I was counseled that I’d had my “cinderella” experience and most likely it wouldn’t happen again. But it did! I’m grateful that God gave me and Jim a second chance. God is beyond second chances. For me. And for you too!

https://redemption-press.com/shop/product/100939

Do the hard stuff.

I hope that my story will encourage you. If you need to work through your grief. Do the hard stuff. It’s worth it. Allow God to heal your heart and turn your sorrows into joy.

Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5b