{"product_id":"pretty-little-widow-shelley-jinks-johnson","title":"Pretty Little Widow | Shelley Jinks Johnson","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Pretty Little Widow” is a collection of poetry detailing a journey through the rollercoaster of emotions during early grief. Raw as an exposed nerve, brutal as the ripping away of one’s own sense of self, and vulnerable as a desperate soul begging to be seen and loved. With each poem I move from sadness to anger to bitterness to the sweetest memories of love that keep me moving forward until I can see the sunrise that will carry me into a new day. And begin the cycle all over again.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn April 2018 my husband of 14 years (at the time) was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme, grade 4- the most aggressive form of terminal brain cancer. Our life together as we had known it was upended. A coma, ICU bed, brain surgery, and hospital clockworks became our new normal in an instant. One-hour neuro checks gave way to physical, occupational, and speech therapies which then in turn gave way to daily radiation treatments and toxic chemotherapy pills.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll for … nothing. Not even time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMy husband died 18 months and 4 days from discovering his brain tumor. Fifteen years, 7 months, and 5 days from the day we said “I do.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are moments in life that become demarcation lines, defining Before and After. Of all those I could pinpoint in my own life, this one is the biggest and most formative. The moment when everything else fell away, and I had to grapple with what was left. Of life. Of myself. Of anything that could possibly matter in the wake of such devastating loss.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSo began my journey with grief and my attempts to face it, feel it, learn from it, live with it, and survive it\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shelley Johnson Jinks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42591179309154,"sku":null,"price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0657\/1569\/9810\/files\/4DE3395D-CACD-494E-97D1-BE254599C8EE.jpg?v=1772067723","url":"https:\/\/mysecretshelves.com\/products\/pretty-little-widow-shelley-jinks-johnson","provider":"My Secret Shelves","version":"1.0","type":"link"}