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One Year Without You, Matt
Over the course of the year, I’ve shared my experiences as a young, widowed mom. I’ve done everything in my power to preserve Matt’s legacy, show the world what an incredible (and slightly off-center) person he was, and to continue fighting for him every damn day. I’ve probably overshared some of my deepest fears, concerns, and experiences.
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A Matter of Hope, Vacation, and Mini-Life Update
What happened to August? No idea. What happened in August? Everything. So much to talk about, I don’t even know where to begin. We’ll start with the obvious, my passion project, A Matter of Hope. Leading up to A Matter of Hope, I had this really calm assurance that everything would work out how it was supposed to. Trust me, after spending months pivoting, changing plans, and looking for ways to make this work, my random optimism was personally quite refreshing. I guess I felt like we did everything possible to make this successful, and at the end of the day, that’s all that mattered. It helped that we surpassed…
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Advice for Friends and Family of Grievers
I reached out to my social media channels and asked fellow grievers for the advice they wish they could have given friends and family members prior to loss.I’ve crafted this post not to call people out, but to help people see things from the grievers point of view. It’s 100% not your fault that you don't know how to handle very delicate, highly volatile situations like grief. There is no textbook on the right thing to say or do.
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Our Cholangiocarcinoma Story: A Big WTF
On May 1, 2018, Matt and I found out we were pregnant with our first, and subsequently only, son, Bryson James (aptly named Pistachio at the time). In August of 2018, we moved from our beloved townhouse in Baltimore City to what was supposed to be our forever home “out in the country.” On January 14th, 2019, I gave birth to our son and we became parents. One week later, at the age of 34, my husband Matt was diagnosed with Stage IV Cholangiocarcinoma
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Grief Myth Busters According to Xtina
Grief is a person experience, unique to the individual and situation. These are the myths I've busted about grief.
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A Tribute to My Husband, Matt
This is a tribute to my soul mate, my husband Matt who was taken away far too soon from all who loved him.
