Diana Walters
I’m b-a-c-k..I think that’s a line from an old horror movie, but can’t think which one—maybe Poltergeist—although the line was probably “it’s back.”
While caring for my husband, I didn’t have the mental energy to write the Boomer column—or volunteer with the seniors’ group—or continue to work my part-time job. The only writing I did during the last year was in my journal.
In April of 2025 I wrote in my final column:
“Undoubtedly you’ve heard the expression, ‘All good things must come to an end.’ That’s a pretty negative adage.
And I don’t think it’s necessarily true. Love doesn’t have to end. When you love someone deeply, you still love them when they’re gone. Faith doesn’t end. If you’ve given your heart to the Lord, He will be with you always. However, it IS time for me to end this column.”
Some things do end—my husband passed away in December. But I was correct when I said that love doesn’t end just because someone is gone. And I was right that the Lord is with us in good times and bad—I count on that.
It’s been a year since that last column was published. Lately two people asked if I was going to write it again, which made me think about doing so. Then my preacher’s message was about asking God to lead us into what we should be doing with our lives.
After losing a spouse, we must assess how to live our lives without him or her. I encourage those of you who have recently lost a mate to ask God to help you with this.
When you’ve been married for many years, it’s normal to feel lost without the other person. And alone, even when we’re around people who care. But with prayer and effort, we will gradually regain our footing.
We don’t stop missing our loved ones, but we shouldn’t stop living. Jan Gildwell said, “You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.”
Eventually we’ll remember the good times with smiles instead of tears. Eventually we’ll again feel the joy of living as the Lord helps us find our path through this phase of life. Eventually we’ll be able to embrace the present and our new normal.
My “new normal” includes writing “A Boomer’s Ruminations” once again. So, watch for it the first and third Tuesday of each month. And if you want to comment or share, email me at
dianalwalters@comcast.net.