BW 036: Married for 29 Years with a Condition that Most Children Don't Survive - with Dave Every

In today's episode, I get to speak with Dave Every. Dave was married to his wife for 29 years before she passed just over a month ago, and they were partnered together for 32 years. Dave's story is unique in that when him and his wife got married, He knew that she had a type of condition that most kids don't survive. Most people don't make it to adulthood. Most people don't make it out of those kid or teenage years. So him and his wife knew early on that there was a high risk that she would die early. So they got to talk about things like life after she might pass and DNRs and what the future really could look like and have a special appreciation for the time that they had together.

Dave has done a lot of work online to give back to others who are grieving, and I would love for him to share with you today some of the things that he's thought about, some of the things that he's learned and what he's doing to share his journey with others.

 

We talk about:

~ forcing yourself to deal with grief instead of running from it

~ ideas for how to deal with your grief

~ how grievers can be hard on themselves

 

Quotes:

~ "It's your brain telling you, be as safe as you can because the world became much more dangerous without your partner. And that's just kind of how your brain and body see it. And it's true. You're alone, you don't have backup..."

~ "One of the Ted Talks had said, a 100% of the people you know are gonna die. And 50% of good relationships are gonna have one person to deal with this. So it's sad that society's become less able to handle grief."

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The Brave Widow Community is a place where you can connect with other widows, find hope and healing, and begin to dream again for the future.  Learn more at bravewidow.com.  

 

Hey guys, I’m Emily Jones

I was widowed at age 37, one month shy of our 20 year wedding anniversary.  Nathan and I have four beautiful children together.  My world was turned completely upside down when I lost him.  With faith, community, and wisdom from others, I’ve been able to find hope, joy, and dream again for the future.  I want to help others do the same, too!

 

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