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Exercise to Overcome Grief

By Sheri LeClair Banitt

Most of the cliches I have heard about grief and grieving are true. Some are misleading and some are just disappointing. Like, “Time heals all wounds”. That is not what we want to hear when we are hurting; we want healing now. The closest thing I have found to instant healing is exercise.

I lost my husband of 43 years in June of 2024. That October I joined our local Snap Fitness gym and signed up with a personal trainer. I was grasping for something to keep my mind off my loss and improve my health. I did two, one-hour sessions each week. Those first weeks were difficult. I had been sedentary and worked at a desk for 30 years, so I had to relearn how to move and use my body. https://www.snapfitness.com/us

In the beginning, I was sore and tired and not always able to do what I wanted. That is where it was good to have a trainer. He never got discouraged, never criticized and never lost faith that I could do it. I remember doing strength work on the machines and looking at the illustrations showing the muscle groups that would be activated. I was not feeling it in those target groups because I was tense, confused and not breathing deeply. Often, I felt strain in my neck or gritted my teeth. Nonetheless, at the end of every session, I felt good, even when I was bone tired. I would walk out feeling accomplished and a little less focused on my loss.

After a couple months of working out, I joined a wonderful group called GriefShare that was led by people in my local community who have also experienced the loss of a loved one. It was helpful to meet with others, talk about our experiences, learn what to expect, and what is normal as we move through the grief journey. https://www.griefshare.org/

Over the next year, I continued to learn about my grief and work out a couple times weekly. I began to notice I had better balance and more strength when doing yard chores and household work. That was much appreciated as a new widow learning to manage many things my husband used to do. Each time a I had to try something new, I had the courage to start. I don’t think I would have felt that confidence without the body work I was doing. While I still have work to do, and want to get to a healthier weight, I have already lost 12 pounds without changing my diet and dropped a size. After losing a loved one, life can feel scary and unpredictable. Doing the exercise gave me a sense of control, at least for that time in the gym.

Recently, I was feeling so good, that I signed up for an 8-week group workout challenge. Oof. It was a challenge. I learned stretching, cardio, and deadlifting. I began to stretch and strengthen my neck, back and shoulders by doing some back lifting. At first, I could not even do the exercises because my brain lacked the sequencing needed to match the movement. It was so great when one of my workout buddies told me, ” I cried sometimes when I could not do this a year ago. But now I feel very comfortable and can do all the Pilates and I’m getting stronger”. I had to do some of the lifts with just the bar and no weight until I could do the movement with the correct form. I made slow progress, but I left each session feeling happy, tired, sore, and in control.

Life has continued to surprise me with challenges. A change at work prompted me to retire in August. The day after my retirement celebration, my mom fell at home and broke her wrist and hip. That was the beginning of two months of rehab for her and me caring for my dad while he was on his own at the senior living community where they live. While I craved a consistent schedule to mimic the work hours I was used to, I could not do that because I was needed to help at odd hours. But I could still exercise, because Snap Fitness is open 24/7. My workout routine was not as often as I wanted it to be and sometimes not as intense as I intended, but I kept doing it. I love walking into the gym and seeing familiar fixtures and faces. I have made new friends at a time when I needed connection. In working through grief, loss, life and exercise, I have found that sometimes the steps are smaller and the progress slower than you wish, but the movement forward is what is most important.

I am going to continue to move forward because I am stronger, healthier and ready for the next chapter as I manage big emotions.

P.S. Now I can feel the burn in all the right muscle groups, and I have added weights as well as gained more flexibility.

Lace Crochet

By Sheri LeClair Banitt

I remember working on this lace tablecloth in the mid to late 1990s, a time when I was working and raising two young girls. I had made one in the Queen Anne’s lace pattern for my grandma and a different pattern for my mom. This tablecloth was going to be for me. It was size 20 cotton and a size 1 hook. Once you know the pattern, it is a mindless distraction while you watch television or during any seated delay like a doctor’s waiting room.

I pulled it out of a drawer today and wondered what stopped me from finishing it. It measures 50″ x 30″ now. When I saw the coffee stains, I realized they were the showstopper. I must’ve put it aside thinking I would soak out the stains another day. And here we are. Another day, thirty some years later.

Moving an unfinished project from here to there for thirty years seems a bit lazy. But crafters know the toll lace crochet takes on hands and fingers. For me, keeping this one was more like an exercise of hope and optimism. Surely the day would come when I had time to fix and finish this piece.

Today is the day. But as with the passing of time, comes the wisdom of age. I am no longer the young woman who started this piece and my hands and arms boast arthritis as testament to my past fervor. Anything I make now must have clear and finite rules for utilization and completion.

I will wash and remove the coffee stains, and this dresser scarf will be finished!

The Second Goodbye

By Sheri LeClair Banitt

The first goodbye was the day he died. My husband’s death took us by surprise when he passed away during a medical procedure. He was a long-time smoker, and it was discovered during a bronchoscopy that he had lung cancer. The cancer burst an artery, and the bleeding could not be stopped; he died quickly. I travelled an hour to the hospital to identify his body and say goodbye. It was traumatic and I felt robbed of the chance to really speak my love, loyalty, apologies and gratitude for all the years together.

I spent the next days, months, and year working through my grief and purging his things that I would no longer need or use. I saved some of the special clothes, his lunchbox, his work boots and jacket. I gave some things to family, donated what I could and threw out some things, like small tools, random nails and screws, bits of wood and such that he would never get around to using.

I kept his truck. It held so many memories of him and happy times. He was man who loved his truck, and he always had one. He used it to haul horses, go hunting and run dogs, drive through heavy snowfalls and move loved ones from place to place as needed. He always listened to KQ radio and had many CDs in that old truck. And of course, anywhere he was, you could find Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup wrappers; lots of them.

So many conversations were had in his truck and past pickups that he owned. We rode in Big Red from his funeral to the burial. You could not think of him without the image of him in the truck with a cap on and eating candy.

When I sold the truck today, it was the second goodbye. Another hard milestone where I felt cheated of the chance for a face-to-face discussion. But life goes on, and now someone else can love that old truck. I said goodbye to the living proof that he was here and now I will rely on the pictures in my mind and my heart.

The third goodbye will be when I sell the home we shared for 31 years. But I’m not going anywhere yet, I’m not ready to meet that milestone.

Adventures at the Gym

By Sheri LeClair Banitt

Life has given me many opportunities to pivot recently. With many things out of my control, I have been focusing on the things I can control and looking for new ways of being.

Shortly after my husband died unexpectedly, I realized I needed something to give me a lift when other things were definitely pulling me down. That is when I joined a gym and signed up for an hour of training, 2 days each week.

The first few sessions with Javier were awkward, frustrating, and exhilarating at the same time. It had been so long since I paid attention to my body and movement, so it was surprising to see where I had to begin. But he calmly showed me what to do and explained the correct form. He laughed when I laughed and cried when I cried but always kept me working on the task at hand, even when I reminded him that I had no muscles.

I stopped training with Javier to focus on work as we went back to the office three days a week but kept my gym membership. I continued to work out once or twice weekly. I was maintaining but not progressing with my fitness.

Fast forward to today. I am retired and have more time to focus on me. Now I have decided to get out of my mind and into my body. I joined an 8-week, one hour each week, group training session. There are four of us ladies working to be healthier and stronger selves. We are working on balance and flexibility. Whew! It is hard. I am sore after every move and sometimes it takes a few tries to even do the moves!

Trainer Sarah says her goal for me is to change my self-talk from negative to positive. Thanks Sarah, I like that plan and I will work on it, especially when my negative self-talk comes out as humor. Because while humor is fun, my brain believes the literal and if my self-talk magnifies my fears and weak points, I won’t make the progress I am looking for. And I do want to progress. I want to feel strong and healthy in all circumstances.

The assignment for me is to keep an exercise log. I should write down what I did and how it made me feel. Sarah says I will see changes over time that will validate all the work I am putting into my health journey.

Here’s my first log entry: August 7, 2025. I woke up early worried about my training session. There were things I wanted to do last week that were hard and I was sore for a few days afterward. To build up my courage to go, I told myself I could always stop if it was too hard. I got to the gym a few minutes early and hopped on a treadmill. I was able to do one thing this week that I was afraid to do last week, and it was fine. I did all the exercises and stretches even when they were hard. I felt good leaving and plan to do cardio every other day and strength training the other days.

Cheers to the mind/body connection.

Embracing Change: My Journey to Retirement

By Sheri LeClair Banitt

The only thing constant is change. But then why does it come as a surprise? Recent changes at work demanded I make a decision. I chose peace, I chose calm, I chose me. I will retire after 15 and a half years with my current employer, and over 30 years as a working adult.

I did not want to retire now because I am just starting to heal after my husband died suddenly a year ago. I have always loved working and truly love my current employer and the job I am leaving. I don’t think waiting longer would make the leaving easier, but it may have given me more time to process and consider the upcoming changes.

I have so many great memories of my working life. I have enjoyed all of my jobs, all of the people I worked with and all the hubbub of getting ready, getting there, doing the job, and going home. From the office potlucks to the well wishes after I broke my arm, to working from home during the pandemic, I loved it all. I would not trade a minute of it for anything. I hope I am thought of kindly and that I have made a difference to the ones who made a difference to me.

Now that this chapter is coming to a close, I am left to contemplate the future. Without my husband of 43 years, the celebration rings hollow. He was supposed to be here with me in retirement. We were going to finally relax and travel and just take it easy. Now I am on my own trying to figure out how to be me without him.

With all of the usual challenges of building a life and home and raising kids, we kept it simple. We made do with what we had and saved money. We were comfortable but never wasted money or lived in luxury. So, now he is gone, I am ending my career, and I have the nest egg to use on my own.

I miss my husband, my best friend. I want to lean on him and tell him my fear of being alone and not having enough to do. But I remember watching many others transition to retirement. And I do recall the stress and bewilderment they faced as their daily reality shifted down to a more gentle and leisurely pace. With time, they all worked it out and found plenty of things to do and people to see. When I get overwhelmed, I think about the three things that were most important to us in our marriage: faith, hope, and love. I will lean on these three and go forward with joy and purpose.

Reflecting on Grief: Lessons from a Tough Year

By Sheri LeClair Banitt

As the last day of the worst year of my life comes to a close, I am reflecting on the changes I have experienced. Some changes happened to me; some happened in spite of me and some happened because of me.

I could not have predicted or prepared for my husband’s sudden death. It was harsh and left me in shock and disbelief. This was a big life change that happened to me. I didn’t ask for it and I didn’t want it.

Many people reached out with sympathy, love, and support. I was thankful for the offerings but refused to look into grief counseling or support. I was sure that I didn’t want to dwell on my misery or join other grievers in theirs.

In spite of this, I was invited to participate in a 13-week support group with other grievers. I went reluctantly and to my surprise, it was helpful, and I learned how grief affects everything.

I began to see that my grief was following a very chaotic, unstructured, and predictable path, so I could relax and let it be. Here is where I started the work of reviewing the past, feeling the now, and hoping for the future.

In the past 43 years with one partner, I learned compassion, cooperation, forgiveness and independence as we forged one life together.

Now, without my partner, I have learned more compassion, cooperation, forgiveness, and independence as I interact with new people in new situations.

My hope for the future is that I will share great compassion, cooperation, forgiveness, and independence with others in need as I learn to be me, on my own.

Finding Joy in Yard Work: Lessons from a Heartfelt Week

by Sheri LeClair Banitt

I took the week off work to honor my late husband’s birthday. We always took the day off and had a nice dinner out. This year, I was on my own and the weather was beautiful. So, I began the yard work. Whew! I misjudged the amount of work to be done and my lack of energy. But I worked on it a little at a time and got much of it done during the week.

First on the list was to uncover the front flower bed. It’s a mess and full of weeds. But the tulips are lovely, and the birds are enjoying the bird bath. Weed pulling will wait for another day. Then I had dinner out with my sister in law.

Second, was to fertilize, overseed, and water the front lawn. This done, I pulled out all the summer lawn decor and set it up in the garden, on the steps and on the shepherd’s hooks. My dog was thrilled when I walked him and then read my book outside. Then I had dinner out with an old friend.

Next, I uncovered the roses, cleaned up and removed the winter community cat houses. Pulled out the dead stuff from the peonies and watered them. Then I met another friend out for lunch.

Cleaned the deck and patio, put down the rugs, uncovered and positioned the lawn furniture. Raked the dead stuff, filled the flowerpots with fresh dirt. Met my daughter for breakfast and we went shopping for flowers.

Had dinner with a new friend and got some ideas for cleaning the grill and setting up the pool.

Prepped the raised garden beds, bought tomatoes, peppers, and seeds, (too tired to plant those). Started prepping to uncover the pool and put rolls of fake turf behind the pool where the dogs dig and it’s hard to mow. Had lunch out with my other daughter.

The deck looks amazing, all ready for summer. The weather for Mother’s Day is going to be beautiful so I am planning a small get together at my house.

In all of the days and all of the activities, I was hot, tired, achy and sick of schlepping furniture, dirt, rolls of turf, etcetera, etcetera. I had many moments of self-pity and wishing there was someone to help. In the end, I kept going by remembering that everything is hard before it’s easy, and once it’s done, it will be done.

Letting go of expectations is hard, but once you do, you are free to find new ways of doing things. Taking time to walk the dog, read a book and have mini outings with friends and family broke up the work and reminded me to focus on the good stuff.

You don’t have to cook; you can go out. You don’t have to be alone; you can get together with people. You can spot clean the house and live well. You can enjoy the sun and stars and wind and birds even when the garden has weeds and the lawn has brown patches. When you enjoy what you have, there isn’t much time for anything else.

Beat Cabin Fever: Fun Indoor Activities for Winter

By Sheri LeClair Banitt

It’s Minnesota in February. The days are getting longer but it’s still snowing and blowing and cold. We haven’t been outside much, and we’re in between holidays. That’s what gives us cabin fever. We’re tired of being inside and longing for fresh spring air and budding greenery. To combat the feelings of malaise and boredom, we look for fun indoor activities.

In my family there are a few birthdays early in the year during cabin fever days; one in January, one in February and one in March. Birthdays and dinners and cakes are a perfect opportunity for indoor fun. A tradition my husband and I kept is the breaking of the wishbone. Both he and I recall being kids when the wishbone was saved from the Thanksgiving turkey. Then two people would make a wish. Each person would grab one side of the wishbone and pull to break it. Whoever got the bigger piece would have their wish come true.

To keep the wishbone tradition alive, we save the wishbones from our roasted poultry throughout the year. I wash them and keep them on the high kitchen windowsill above the sink to dry, so they are ready to break at each birthday.

So, cats. Housecats. They have never stepped a paw outdoors since the day they were rescued and brought inside from the feral colony. Yet they have cabin fever. I can tell by the way they are rampaging through the house yowling and scattering toy mice everywhere. They are tussling and fighting more than usual.

But the real tell that they have cabin fever is this. The three wishbones that were drying on the kitchen sink windowsill are gone. There are very miniscule bone fragments and a partial top of one. But only a cat would jump up high, chew on the wishbones, carry them off, and never leave a footprint. Then look me in the eye without a trace of guilt and meow for a treat.

Navigating Grief: Lessons from Loss and Healing

By Sheri LeClair Banitt

I have been reflecting on the past year and decided to log my findings.

Big life events that happened:

Husband hospitalized in April
Moved parents to senior living in May.
Husband died in June unexpectedly during a medical test while I was at work.
Life stopped and changed course in a day, without notice.

Prior to June 5,2024, life was difficult, but normal. It was difficult because we were trying to work, pay bills, and settle my parents while his health was declining. He had been diagnosed with COPD two years prior. We knew he was sick. He was on many medications and oxygen at night. Even so, he continued to go to work every day and give it his all. He declined all urgings to stop smoking. He went to the doctor reluctantly and never soon enough. He was stubborn, so I mistook his behavior for rebellion or defiance or something I was never quite sure of.

In truth, my husband was addicted to tobacco and was never able to quit it for long. Though he went to work and looked normal, his cognition was declining due to lack of oxygen. All the meds kept him in a “normal range”, but took a toll on his heart and breathing was not easy. I have learned that it is common with COPD to become depressed. So, he went to the hospital for testing and told me not to come in because we could talk about it later. He died while I was working and during a medical test where they discovered he had very extensive and late-stage cancer in both lungs. I think he knew what they were looking for and didn’t want to tell me on the phone but planned to tell me when I came in to see him after the test.

I celebrated our 43rd anniversary alone the next day. We planned the funeral and went through all the steps of closure: visitation, funeral, thank you cards, gravestone, paperwork. Many things I don’t remember, but many things I do. Most memorable are the people who came to support me in my grief. I know that this outpouring of love and care for both of us was pivotal in my ability to get through the hardest days of my life.

Goodbye to these things from 2024.

Regret and guilt for things left undone and unsaid along with other things said and done.
Worry about appearances and what others may think.
Withholding honest communication when there is something to be gained in speaking it.

Hello to 2025 and new behaviors.

Taking time for me first.
Making work/life balance a priority and not just a good idea.
Reaching out to others when I need help, and when they do too.
Appreciating every blessing every day and living with joy and thankfulness.

The First Thanksgiving

By Sheri LeClair Banitt

Six months since I lost my husband. Six months of learning to do everything on my own. Paying the bills, yard work, pool care, dog duty, cat care, solo events, morning coffee, evening shows, bedtime. Washing windows, furnace upkeep, sump pump, dehumidifier, car maintenance, grocery shopping, sidewalk shoveling, clearing the driveway, church. And now a big holiday.

We have hosted Thanksgiving for most of the last twenty years. We work well together and are able to accommodate many people in our small house because of love and organization. Today is no different. It is still our house. It is organized. It is full of love. But it is missing my love. My partner. My Bou. We are now me. I am me and you are memory.

That is what loss is really about. It is hyper focus on self and situation. The loss is felt daily in the practical activities that are now left undone by the missing one. The feelings of loss come with the reality of doing things alone, depending on oneself and then allowing others to help. Asking for help and paying for services that used to come free from the one you trusted.

Letting go of what you thought would happen and what used to happen and what could have happened becomes a daily exercise in choices. You can choose anxiety, anger and fear, or you can choose peace, calm and acceptance.

I choose peace, knowing that he is okay, and I am okay. I choose calm, knowing that I am not alone, leaning on family, friends and kind strangers who want to help. I choose acceptance, knowing that I can move forward and embrace new ways of being in the world.

I am letting go and letting it be. I do not need to know what is next to enjoy what is now.

Happy Thanksgiving – enjoy your blessings!