Hello and welcome to my podcast, The Wellness Project with Des. On today’s podcast episode, I speak with Vicki Paris Goodman about feeling optimistic after the loss of the love of her life.
I’m Desiree, a Mental Health Therapist and Holistic Wellness Coach, passionate about helping you to improve your mental health and live a healthy and fulfilled life. One way I do this is by interviewing experts in the field of mental health and wellness as well as those that share their first-hand accounts with their mental health journeys. In this episode, we will hear from Vicki about feeling optimistic after the loss of her husband, Sam.
Soon after moving to Arizona for retirement, Vicki Paris Goodman’s husband, Sam, received a terminal cancer diagnosis. Vicki was his caregiver in the months leading up to his passing. During this time, she struggled with anxiety, colds, physical pains, migraines, and little sleep. Vicki discusses the logistics of being a caregiver, navigating insurance, long-term care options, and the fears that come up in being a caregiver.
After the death of her husband, Sam, two years after his diagnosis, Vicki was unexpectedly flooded with positivity and optimism and presented with a host of possibilities for an exciting and meaningful future. But because these were not typical feelings or ones you would expect after losing the love of your life, she felt that she should reject her feelings of hope and optimism. It didn’t seem right to feel this way after Sam had just passed. It felt too soon and unexpected.
In our conversation, Vicki talks about having complex feelings about the death of a loved one and she addresses the societal expectations to grieve in a certain way and for a certain amount of time. Listen to this conversation to gain a new perspective on death and to permit yourself to feel your feelings, no matter how complex, confusing, or “wrong” they feel.