Frances 3.0: Still in Beta

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Let me [re]introduce myself: I am Frances – version 3.x. And, much like all of us, I am still in beta. And now you may be wondering what the heck I’m on about! Let me see if I can clear things up.

A couple of months after Paul died, I started Frances 3.0: Still in Beta to help me deal with my grief. [Here’s the introduction post that explains the versions a bit.] Frances 3.0 was my way of releasing some of my grief to the ethers and it really helped me to work through a few emotions that I couldn’t pinpoint until I attempted to write about them.

About six months after I started that blog, I realised that I needed an outlet for my mundane – and even happy – thoughts, too. And that’s when I started Just Frances. One blog for grief; one blog for my Fake It ’Til You Make It attitude reserved for family and friends. But then, slowly, the grief started to creep into Just Frances. After all, grief is part of my reality now – it’s part and parcel with the widowhood thing – so how could it not be included in the blog I post to almost every day?

As I became more comfortable sharing my grief here with you, I began sharing less and less over at Frances 3.0. Not because I’d “healed” or “moved on”, but because I decided that if my family and friends were not comfortable with reading about my grief alongside my joys, they could just stop reading. (I know, how selfish of me!)

Anyhow, today I [most likely] posted for the last time over at Frances 3.0, and in doing so I invited my readers there to join me here. And it just seems fair that I publicly invite folks here to go and read there, too. You know, in case you need a good cry and want to see some of the processes I went through in those early days of grieving.

I don’t know if the merging of these two online worlds will mean I post more sad stuff here, but it might. Or I might not. Stick around and find out …

4 Replies to “Frances 3.0: Still in Beta”

  1. we love you, metaphorical warts and whatnot and all.
    and yes, we can look away when we want to but real friends will return the stare.

    Reply

  3. I agree, you shouldn’t have to put on a “happy face” for friends & family when you are really feeling Frances 3.0. You are 1 person in grief and in awesomeness and so since it’s your daily life you post it should include both. Whoever can’t handle it doesn’t have to read! You go & be YOURSELF in sadness & happiness…either way, we love you <3

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  4. Thanks everyone! It’s hard to put some emotions out there because I’m worried what others will think, but I know I shouldn’t care. If folks don’t like me because I write sad things on occasion, it’s their loss! I am always pleased to know that I have support from lovely ladies like all of you though! xx

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