Episode 3: How This Widow Had The Courage To Build A New House After The Loss Of Her Husband
LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE!
Cherie McKevitt was enjoying a week in Disney World with her family when tragedy struck and her husband, Frank, passed away suddenly. Cherie describes the events that followed.
She shares how she escaped from the pain by traveling the world with her boys, taking trip after trip, so she didn’t have time to sit and be present with her grief. Being on the go meant she didn’t have to slow down and face the reality of her loss.
Change is painful. Growth is painful. But being stuck in grief is what hurts the most. She knew she had to make some big changes in order to move forward. Ultimately, she decided to sell her home to be closer to family.
She dove into the challenge of purchasing a lot, designing a home, hiring a contractor, securing the financing, and being on-site every day of construction all while working full-time in order to reach the goal of building a new home for her and her two boys. I honestly don’t know how she had the strength to do it all!
Her story will motivate you to take on anything you put your mind to!
Cherie always keeps the lines of communication open with her boys at all times, even when the subject matter is difficult!
Here’s a free guide on HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT THE REALLY HARD STUFF:
https://episode1.ck.page/talking-guide
TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:
Death of a loved one is hard enough but can be even more difficult if it happens on a holiday or your birthday. Cherie’s husband died on her birthday so for years it was a sad occasion. But after 4 years, she TOOK HER BIRTHDAY BACK! It’s okay to take those holidays back and make them happy again!
Know when you need to close a big chapter in your life. Like selling your house. It’s another MAJOR life change, but do things that are going to move you forward in your new life.
When it comes to financing a new house or building a new home, DON’T get discouraged! If one bank says “no” because you’re a widow, KEEP GOING! Eventually you will find someone who says YES!
Look for signs of your loved one (if you believe in them). Our loved ones are still with us and the signs are everywhere!
Give your kids more closure if they need it. Cherie’s kids were too little and she didn’t have them at the funeral. But a few years later, she did a memorial service and balloon release with her boys so they could say goodbye to their dad.
Create a memory book with EVERYTHING about your spouse because over time those memories do fade away.
Just because your husband passed away, doesn’t mean the relationship with your in-laws has to go away too.
Kids go through phases of grief as they grow up. So if you have more than one child, what’s good for one child is not always good for the other one if they are in different age groups and different stages of grief.
Some people will do something to acknowledge their spouses birthday. Cherie and her boys always ate his favorite meal or his favorite dessert to celebrate.
Talking to your kids about these serious subjects can be extremely difficult on you AND them. But always keep those lines of communication open!
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LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW HERE!
