Kimmel Funeral Home

03/07/2026

There’s something no one really prepares you for after you lose a spouse, the day you realize your heart has room to love again.

Not ‘instead’ of them…but alongside them.

When you’ve loved deeply and lost someone you thought you’d grow old with, love doesn’t just disappear. It lingers. It becomes part of who you are. And when love finds its way back into your life, whether you’re expecting it or not, it can feel confusing and terrifying all at once.

Because how do you love someone new, without feeling like you’re betraying the one you lost?

I remember the swirl of emotions so clearly. The joy of feeling connected again. The comfort of companionship.

And right behind it guilt.

Guilt for smiling. Guilt for feeling hopeful. Guilt for realizing that my heart was capable of holding joy again when someone I loved so deeply was no longer here to share it.

Grief is so damn messy and complicated.

There were days I felt like my heart was being pulled in two directions, loving someone who’s gone and loving someone who’s here. Some days it felt like betrayal. Other days it felt like survival. And often, it felt like both at the same time.

What I’ve learned is that love isn’t a limited resource. It doesn’t run out. It doesn’t replace.

Here’s the thing…it expands.

Loving again doesn’t erase the love you had. It doesn’t rewrite your story or diminish what came before. It just means your heart has grown big enough to hold more than one chapter.

There are moments of joy that catch you off guard, and peace that sneaks in when you least expect it. And then there are moments when guilt whispers, “Should I really be this happy?”

Those moments can sit right next to each other, and both can be true.

It doesn’t mean you’re forgetting, it just means you’re finding a way to keep loving.

Because loving again doesn’t mean you’ve moved on. It means you’ve carried love forward.

And that kind of love? It’s something to honor, not question.

And if you’re not there…or never will be…that’s okay too.

Gary Sturgis
Author: 'SURVIVING GRIEF - 365 Days A Year'

03/03/2026

Watch the video for Ruth Ann Heisey

02/26/2026

View Ruth Ann Heisey's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

02/26/2026

02/11/2026

View George H. Baddorf's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

02/04/2026

View Kathryn Elizabeth Barber's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

02/04/2026

View William E. Zelko's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

02/04/2026

View Wayne John Ordille's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

02/03/2026

View James Patrick Martin's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

01/23/2026

View Ronald E. Durborow's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

01/22/2026

The missing. It's always there.

Some days it's quietly humming in the background of a life that now feels so different and is marked by a void. And some days it's so loud it brings distraction and is hard to ignore.

The missing is one of the hardest things to carry when it comes to loss and grief. It shows up when you would expect it to and it shows up in the most ordinary moments during the day.

It shows up when all is calm and quiet. It shows up when life is filled with chaos. It shows up during the milestones we all experience in life including the holidays.

You will always miss your loved ones and you will miss them in everything they will never get to experience or see.

And you will miss yourself. The version of YOU that went missing the day your loved one took their last breath. You will miss the life you lived before when they were part of it and here. You will miss the life you had dreamed of and the way life was "supposed" to be.

The heartbreaking truth is you will miss them forever and the missing never completely stops. But the missing is also a reflection of how much you love and care about someone. It represents just how much someone mattered and perhaps that's the way it's supposed to be.

If you are missing someone today, I'm wrapping you in a big hug filled with compassion and love. The missing may be hard but when you are missing your loved ones send them love and light. Say their name. Talk to them. Write them a letter. Share their story. Talk about them and hold their memories close.

With love - michele

01/22/2026

View James T. Elliott, Jr.'s obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.