My Life continues to change after my Husbands Death








Sunday August 27th, 2017

I want to start this blog with introducing myself.  My name is Anitra Marie Simmons. My first and middle name have been the same my entire life but my current last name is my third.   I am a fifty four year old woman, with medium frame, long brown hair and big blue eyes.  I've lived in the state of Washington almost my entire life, mostly within the rural areas outside of Seattle.  I have been married twice, first divorced and second widowed.  I have two daughters, one step daughter and seven grandchildren. I love that I am a grandma but don't look like one.  I own and run a contractor business and dabble in real estate.  I am good at finance and building homes.  I recently wrote a book, called Embracing Life From Death.  I will explain why shortly.

My twenties and thirties were all about achieving goals that I grew up believing were the non-negotiable part of life.   Getting married, having children, driving a nice car and owning my own home.  Life was a struggle.  I was pregnant at twenty years old, barely an adult myself when I had my first daughter.  I went from high school to a job, then a job with a husband and a child.  And then another child.  Since I did not take the time to get a college degree, which could have allowed me a career that might have made me happy, I was stuck in mindless data entry positions for boring companies for fifteen years.  During that time, I often wished I could run far away from the mindless daily routine of working forty hour weeks, cleaning our home and living paycheck to paycheck.  I lived for my daughters.  They gave me endless joy, and all my time that I wasn't working was consumed with caring for and loving them.


 My life changed drastically June 27th, 2015 when my husband, Grady Dean Simmons was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.  The ugly, hideous disease is called Glioblastoma.  Funny that it has the word "blast" in it.  Because that is what it does to someones brain.  It blows the functions of a normal brain like bombs dropping on a city in War.  It can wipe out mobility, or memory or personality.  Its devastation is complete and overwhelming.  In my book, I talk honestly about what its like to have a doctor tell you that your beloved husband, is going to die.  The emotions that I experienced and the panic I felt to save him.  My life is forever changed.  I want to share my experience and spiritual growth with those who can relate to life changing events.

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 30, 2020 at 5:13 PM

    Hi, I've been reading your book. My husband died two weeks ago today after an eleven month battle with glioblastoma. Your story has so many similarities to ours, I feel as if you were writing about us. I've saved part two until after his death. I tried to get started on it but I'm not ready for it yet. To tell the truth I've not even cried. I just want to be still and let reality set in.
    I heard someone say last week, one person's sorrow is another person's survival guide. That best describes what your book has done for me, thank you.


    Carol Smith

    ReplyDelete

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