16 July 2012

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!)

42 comments:

Supa Dupa Fresh said...

Snick, if you can find a way to get there, we will find a way to make it work!! It would be so cool to hug you at last!
X
Supa

Linda Curtin said...

Death, Cancer & Single Parenting SUCK!

Anonymous said...

Death Sucks!!!

Kathleen said...

Death Sucks!!!! (Big time!)

The Learings said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Plain Jane said...

HOPE MATTERS!!! Due to recent events in my life that have really rubbed salt in the widow wounds....I get through the day's with HOPE!!! I have been motivated, I have been mostly optimistic, I have been real, and I have tried to find the positives....lately I am so alone, struggling to find the motivation, struggling to find the positives....I HOPE that I might be the lucky camper....HOPE MATTERS!!!

Renee said...

Widows Rock!

Renee Cox

Tom Schmidt said...

Bonus Prize - if you win, you get to meet me! If you run across me, because I'll be there. Hope matters & death sucks!

Tamara Beachum said...

Hope Matters!

Janine said...

Ditto on what Supa said. It would be SO GREAT to have you come!!!!! :)

Little Bird said...

I choose you!

Connie said...

Hope matters, widow rocks, and I am thankful to be alive! I am also thankful to have had a good solid, real marriage just wish it could have been longer, 26 yrs was too short a time...

Jennifer Whitehurst said...

Death sucks!

Brandi Tillery said...

Hope Matters!!!!

Linda Della Donna said...

I have never been to Camp Widow. I confess, I secretly long to attend. I am a widow 8 years. In that time I founded a website for widows, have written more than 50 ezine articles for widows, and daily on my fb page, I post inspirational posts with the goal of helping to turn upside down smiles right side up again. Recently, I fulfilled a promise to my late husband and wrote a book.

It is my way of giving back.

Thank you for the opportunity to read your blog post and learn more about Camp Widow.

Linda Della Donna

Sandra F. said...

Death Sucks bigtime -- but all you have left after is the fact that Hope Matters!

Alexandrite Woman said...

Wonderful post. Thanks for the opportunity. Death sucks! New Year's Eve will be 10 years since I said goodbye to my wonderful husband and I still miss him so much.
Caroline

LaurieR said...

Death Sucks
Widow rock
& Hope matters
All of them are true

Liz Palika said...

Hope matters!

Every single day.

baldwinblisst@yahoo.com said...

Death sucks! This is such a reality. I miss William everyday.

Susan Scott said...

So glad I'll be meeting people next month. All for getting with people that get it, laughing, crying, and drinking... sounds like a good thing to me!

Susan Scott said...

So glad I'll be meeting people next month. All for getting with people that get it, laughing, crying, and drinking... sounds like a good thing to me!

Mercedes said...

Hope matters! Being able to share ideas of how others are managing their loss would be amazing! I would love to go

widowisland said...

Hope Matters!

Unknown said...

Hope Matters, when you not only lost your best friend, but to find out you have lost you 3rd generation family business, and home is just to much to bare, but I'm really working hard and need help to overcome all this. But with all this said, I miss still love and miss my Bobby!

Unknown said...

Lost my best friend and husband of 35 years in a car accident just before Christmas. DEATH SUCKS in so many ways but because HOPE MATTERS I'm striving to come to a point in my life where I can say WIDOWS ROCK with a smile on my face.

Sharon said...

I choose, HOPE MATTERS,
We all deserve to go, so lets rent a bus and all go together. I had planned to go,if nothing else then to meet everyone, and learn more about this journey. But for me, it is the 5K that I was looking to do, as this will be one year that I have been an amputee. I want to walk along with my other widows/widowers. Even if its just a 1 k.

Storm said...

Death sucks!

Storm said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Millie said...

Death sucks!

Millie said...

Death sucks,

Mz T said...

Widows Rock!

Unknown said...

Hope matters....After losing my Best Friend of 25 years...Losing our HOME of 13 years that HE work so hard for..Caring for 2 parents with very serious health issues...At the end of the nigght ALL I have Is Hope that tomorrow is a BETTER day>>>

Unknown said...

Hope matters....After losing my Best Friend of 25 years...Losing our HOME of 13 years that HE work so hard for..Caring for 2 parents with very serious health issues...At the end of the nigght ALL I have Is Hope that tomorrow is a BETTER day>>>

Unknown said...

Hope matters....After losing my Best Friend of 25 years...Losing our HOME of 13 years that HE work so hard for..Caring for 2 parents with very serious health issues...At the end of the nigght ALL I have Is Hope that tomorrow is a BETTER day>>>

Anonymous said...

Widows Rock! Oh, and Death Sucks! too...majorly.

Thanks so much!
Wendy

Wendy Clough

Ws_clough@MSN.com

Anonymous said...

All three so true!! Without Hope it wouldn't be possible to face the fact that death does suck! Cheers to you, obviously a widow who totally rocks!!!
Thanks,
Priscilla Schubert
priscilla.schubert@yahoo.com

Joanne said...

Hope Matters.

Joanne

Unknown said...

Death Sucks

Janine said...

Snick, I totally stole your idea and am doing the same thing on my blog, Any idea what time you're going to choose on Tuesday? I'm going to it AFTER you do it because I know that we have some of the same people trying to win (which is great!). Also, I need to email you, or vice versa. My email is jeggerstx@gmail.com
Thanks, friend and keep enjoying the comments!!!
:)

Candy said...

Hope Matters!
My wonderful husband Jeff went to heaven on June 8, 2009, after 5 1/2years of marriage. I miss him every second. It helps to be with other widows & widowers who understand. I have 20 year old twins who keep me going. Thanks for your blog & generous offer.
Blessings & prayers,
Candy
candyruthven@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hope Matters!

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things,and no good thing ever dies.

Quote from movie the Shawshank Redemption