A joyful heart
When I sit down to write something grief related, I occasionally feel a twinge of worry. I’m concerned that by continuing to document my...
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- Jun 22
- 2 min
Yes, I want a Fanta (Fanta). *tears*
It's no secret that I write a lot about grief — it's been a significant part of my life. Today, I'm writing about a different kind of...
- Jun 16
- 2 min
Circle back around
This beautiful ring used to adorn my husband's hand, but now it’s in the bottom drawer of my bedside table. When Ramón was going into the...
- Jun 1
- 2 min
No caveat(s) needed
Today, as I sat on a bench in the backyard, I was overcome with gratitude. I admired a happy Noodle, a beautiful sky, plants in bloom,...
- May 7
- 1 min
Happy birthday, Your Honor!
Today this guy would have turned 43! It would have also been the three-year anniversary of his cancer diagnosis. This year, as the date...
- Apr 19
- 4 min
Breathe in gratitude
Today is one of the tougher grief milestones because it marks two years since Ramón's cardiac arrest. My hope for today is that I can...
- Apr 1
- 3 min
This is a shout-out to my grievers.
Where all my grievers at? Can I get a BOO-HOO? Just kidding. But if I were to craft a rap about grief, it would definitely start off like...
- Mar 21
- 3 min
A little birdie
I approached the window just in time to see half of my favorite tree topple to the ground. I stood there, mouth agape in disbelief, as I...
- Jan 7
- 3 min
A smidgen
As I sat down to write this post, I thought I’d start by saying, "I woke up to a text from Ramón’s brother-in-law, Steve." Then I...
- Nov 11, 2021
- 1 min
What were you wearing when ... ?
As I put on a hoodie this morning, I remembered it was the sweatshirt I was wearing when Ramón was diagnosed with leukemia. I didn’t...
- Oct 19, 2021
- 3 min
Ask and ye will have asked
Today marks 18 months since Ramón’s cardiac arrest. For once, that length of time aligns with how long it feels like it’s been....
- Oct 7, 2021
- 2 min
Leaves a mark
Earlier this week I let the dogs out for their nighttime pee in the drizzling rain. My dog Noodle was lollygagging around, so I tried to...
- Sep 2, 2021
- 3 min
Whether the weather is cold
Last night I was texting with one of my friends who is also a widow. (Will saying that ever feel normal?) She was having a rough day on...
- Aug 10, 2021
- 4 min
A nice ring to it
As the one-year anniversary of Ramón’s death approached, I went to a jeweler to get my engagement and wedding rings resized — an idea I’d...
- Jun 30, 2021
- 2 min
How's my happiness level?
Today, when setting up an online account, I was prompted to select a security question. The first one on the list was, “In what city or...
- Apr 3, 2021
- 2 min
That's how this works
This day last year, Ramón walked out of our house for the last time. In the days leading up to his transplant admission, he spent more...
- Feb 4, 2021
- 1 min
Sealed with an X
In the fifth year of marriage, I'd finally gotten the hang of identifying as "married" after never having envisioned that for myself. Now...
- Jan 20, 2021
- 4 min
The gossip on grief: Six months later
Grief is powerful. In fact, it's so mighty it has rendered society largely incapable of discussing it. Today marks 6 months of widowhood.
- Dec 20, 2020
- 1 min
nine years - five years - five months
Nine years ago, to the day, I met this guy for our first date. Five years ago, to the day, I married this guy. Five months ago, to the...
- Oct 25, 2020
- 2 min
Thank you for everything
A friend gifted me this leather bracelet in August. She conspired to get a sample of Ramón’s handwriting, and my mom had a note from...
My name is Drew Dotson, and my life has been anything but perfect, yet it's still perfectly beautiful. After growing up with a genetic disease, cystic fibrosis, I was blessed to meet an amazing man who loved me without bounds. Then he died.