My husband died Friday night.

[Tanuki]

43. I am so sorry for your pain and your very deep loss. One thing that helped me

when my dad died suddenly was to mourn as freely and for as long as I needed to, and to try to take care of my needs (in my case, for some reason, for more sleep during that time), and to commit myself to making sure that the light he brought to the world was not extinguished when he left. I tried to honor his spirit by being more kind and generous, which were qualities he embodied, and I "adopted" a couple of organizations he had supported. Others here have suggested taking your friends and family up on their offers of support, and I thoroughly agree. There were moments when I felt like the shipwrecked sailors of old legends who were guided to shore and saved from drowning by a pod of friendly dolphins who kept pushing their heads back above water so they could breathe. Your friends and family and your DU community will help you through this sad time.