Melinda Richarz Lyons

Melinda Richarz Lyons earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of North Texas and has been a free lance writer for over forty years. Her articles have appeared in many publications, including "Nashville Parent," "Cats Magazine," "Reminisce," "True West," "Frontier Times," "Kids, Etc.," "Cincinnati Family Magazine," "The Tennessean,"The Fort Worth Star-Telegram," "Chicken Soup for the Soul: True Love," and "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers." Ms. Lyons is also a published songwriter, and was the 2004 co-recipient of the Academy of Western Artists Will Rogers Award for Best Song of the Year. She is the author of several books, including "WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty," "Murder at the Oaklands Mansion," and "Crossing the Minefield," the story of her journey from grief to recovery. She has four step children and nine grandchildren and currently lives in Tyler, Texas with her husband Tom.

Articles:

Why Do I Feel Worse Now Than I Did Right After My Husband Died?

The Shock of a Sudden Death Grief counseling was invaluable to me after I lost my husband, Sid. He was only 56 and died very suddenly. There were so many […]

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Losing a Fiance: Wedding Turned to Funeral

Recently my twenty-six-year-old niece Kate lost her fiancé in a car accident just two days before their wedding. In addition to her deep grief, Kate also had to face many […]

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Guilt Over the Loss of a Spouse

One of my widowed friends recently told me, “I feel guilty being happy alone.” She had been happily married for over forty years and widowed for a few years. My […]

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How Do I Handle the Family of My Former Spouse?

When I lost my husband, I didn’t realize how deeply that would affect other relationships—particular with his family. When ties are broken by death, relationships with former family members often change. […]

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Widows Suffer ‘Absence of Touch’

Six weeks after my father died, I lost my fifty-six-year-old husband very suddenly. My mother and I have often discussed how sad and strange it was to be widowed at […]

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Don’t Turn the Deceased into Perfect Person

After you lose someone you love very much, it is only natural to think about that person in a very positive way. But sometimes we can go too far, and […]

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Fighting Bitterness after the Loss of a Spouse

After the loss of a spouse, you face so many emotional challenges. For me, one of the most difficult was fighting the bitterness I felt after my husband suddenly died. […]

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Wedding Rings and Worldly Things

After I was widowed, I became part of a group of men and women who had each also suffered the loss of a spouse. We often got together and discussed […]

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Why Do People Say Hurtful Things?

I learned a lot after I lost my husband, and one of the things I learned is what not to say to someone who is grieving. We are all different, […]

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I’m Not a Couple Anymore

On my journey through grief, I ran into so many unexpected things. It is overwhelming enough to deal with the sadness you expect after the loss of a loved one, […]

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