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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

EndNotes

Travel the world grief

Conventional grieving wisdom says that widows and widowers shouldn't make any major changes for a year.

But we're learning here at EndNotes that people grieve very differently. And it's OK. There is no one right way.

Pia Hallenberg had an excellent story today on Dawn Picken, a former Spokane TV journalist who lost her husband in January 2010 and then traveled the world with her children, ages 6 and 4 when their father died.

“It’s not like I didn’t grieve, I did and I do,” Picken said. “I just got to grieve in some of the most beautiful places on this earth.” She adds that the round-the-world trip in so many ways is a gift from Stanelun because it was made possible by his life insurance. Picken brought Stanelun’s ashes along.



Spokesman-Review features writer Rebecca Nappi, along with writer Catherine Johnston of Olympia, Wash., discuss here issues facing aging boomers, seniors and those experiencing serious illness, dying, death and other forms of loss.