As we previously mentioned, Patrick Swayze‘s widow, Lisa Niemi, spoke at a roundtable discussion on Grief, Healing and Resilience at the Women’s Conference in Long Beach on Tuesday.
Equipped with incredible strength, Lisa described loss as “an animal all of its own” and that her sadness could be felt “on a cellular level.”
And considering they were married for 34 years, we are amazed and applaud her for being ready to talk only six weeks after his passing. It must have been cathartic for her!
“When the grief takes you, it’s like your body is not your own,” she said of her process. “I’m just going with the flow. I know I have to go through it.”
But, it’s her closest friends that have helped her in the most difficult times!
“I have a few girlfriends that are just amazing. They have made themselves available to me 24/7. They say, ‘We don’t care if it’s 2 in the morning, call me’,” said Niemi. “I was in the middle of a full-blown panic attack one evening … and I picked up the phone and called one, which is really hard for me to do because I’m used to being so self-sufficient and taking care of myself, but the very act of picking the phone up to call someone helped to calm me.”
And she refuses to lose hope!
“I’ve spent two thirds of my life with him … My regret is that I didn’t tell him that I loved him enough over that entire 34 years,” she continued as her voice began to shake. “I am so grateful for what I had and my connection to him, and part of me believes that I will see him again and I’m just going to have to go on until then.”
Heartbreaking!
Stay strong, bb!
[Image via WENN.]
-
Categories
