TALES FROM THE (Widow) HOOD

With apologies to  Gabriel García Márquez

In 2018 I became a reluctant learner at Widowhood University.  The business of George’s business became my business, along with all of the responsibilities I had happily let him oversee during our 43 "His and Hers" years. On top of the numbing grief and sadness that seemed to be burying me alive, I was faced with closing a law practice, navigating the intricacies of self-employment business taxes, notifying umpteen financial institutions, the State Bar, and numerous unsuspecting clients. Date of death property appraisals. Sales of real estate and my Kahuna’s car. I must say I surprised myself. It was a crash course in self-reliance, and I can proudly say I earned my degree! As it turns out. It’s the mundane, unspectacular tasks that continue to remind me how much I depended on George. Trudging the weekly trash, recycle, and garden waste barrels down our long driveway to the curb on time. Bringing them back up, donning the garden gloves that shield me from the