Back in the spring, I wrote about Becky Aikman’s book, “Saturday Night Widows: The Adventures of Six Friends Remaking Their lives.” A widow herself, Becky was not interested in taking part in a sorrowful bereavement group, and so she invented and organized a group of women, also widows, who met one Saturday night a month for fun and adventure.
They reinvented themselves together.
Now fast forward. A local group has formed with a similar name. It was Barbara Bigelow’s idea.
A widow from Amherst, Barbara knows how difficult the weekends are, and she got the idea to form a group for other widows to meet on Saturday nights. Barbara thought that women who may have differing interests – yet share this one life-changing circumstance – could enjoy connecting with one another.
Oddly enough, despite the similarity in name, Barbara has never read Aikman’s book. That’s just a coincidence.
Barbara liked the alliterative sound of “Widows Second Saturday,” but the others in the group wanted to meet on the first Saturday instead. So it was named the First Saturday Widows Group, and so far, they have met twice.
The first get-together was on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Bigelow’s home. There were 15 women in attendance, and 15 others interested in ongoing participation. They shared a pot-luck dinner and talked about their varying lives, deciding that future meetings should be held in all of the different women’s houses; they will rotate from month to month.
Barbara points out that this group is not a bereavement group. It’s a social group. Barbara hopes they will take part in many activities, including travel.
Also, Barbara wants women to know that if they aren’t ready for the group now, they will be welcome when they are.
I think it’s great that Barbara and this group of women are spending time together, and I would encourage other women, in other regions, to do the same. There is nothing so comforting as being in the company of those who understand the grief journey.
For more information on the group, email Barbara Bigelow at mcbig4@comcast.net.
Barbara says the next get together is Saturday, Nov. 2 at 5:30 p.m. and “anyone who would like to come is very welcome. They just need to send me an email, and I’ll send directions.”
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