Are you a widow(er)? Wanna go to camp, for free?

I'm here to give something away.

Sure, I could write about what's going on in my life, and there's a lot to say about that, and it's mostly good (although the six-year-olds [SIX!] are driving me NUTS right now), but I'm not going to take the time to say it because right now is the time for FREE STUFF.

OK, one free thing.

And you can only have it if you are a widow or widower. Sorry to all you others out there.

For the past three years, an amazing group of people at the nonprofit Soaring Spirits Lost Foundation have put together and amazing experience at Camp Widow. They've done it three times on the west coast and once on the east coast, and they are gearing up to do it again in San Diego in a few weeks, the weekend of August 8–10.

I hear that camp features laughing, crying, and drinking, so it's a complete mystery why I've never attended since I love to do all three of those things and I especially love to do them with people who get the death-of-a-spouse thing because they've lived the death-of-a-spouse thing. While I've not gone myself, I know (IRL and in the computer) people who have, and the experience gets nothing but major good reviews.

I have the chance to offer FREE registration to this year's camp to one lucky widow(er), no matter your age, parenting status, gender, current marital status, or point in your grief. Here's what you get:

• FREE registration (a $375 value)
• Access to all sorts of fantastic programming on Friday and Saturday 
• some meals (see schedule for details)

I also need to tell you what you don't get:

• airfare   
• hotel room (discounted rooms are reserved at the conference hotel, and if you want to save $$ by having a roommate, the conference organizers can help you work that out)
• some meals (see schedule for details)

Not sure it's for you? Here are some links to give you more of a sense of what it's all about:

• Discussion about Camp on Village
• Some relevant blog posts to learn more about the event, by Supa Dupa Fresh, who has been there: Review of East Coast event (includes lot of valuable info like what ages attended, how late after the loss, etc.), Party dress
• Ritual (another blog post by Supa; I can't get the formatting to work to run it up on the same line with the other blog posts, argh)
• A video made by Supa, that gives a good sense of the event

Are you in? If so, let me know by leaving one of these three comments: Death Sucks! Widows Rock! or Hope Matters! (These are previous Soaring Spirits Lost Foundation mottoes. I quite like Death Sucks! So true.)

Time's a wastin' as travel plans need to be made. I'm planning to choose a winner at random on Tuesday, July 24 (updated on Friday, July 20).

(Confidential to Supa: if no one enters, can I choose myself? Ha!)