Even before my late husband, Jeff, was diagnosed with ALS in 2018, we approached his unusual and alarming symptoms as a team. He’d shared with me from the beginning his painless but mysterious foot drop, and together our concerns grew when he began to slur his speech. From…
Thunder Road — Juliet Taylor
Juliet lost her husband, Jeff, to ALS in 2020, 19 months after his diagnosis. Together Jeff and Juliet enjoyed being on the water, live music, pets, and traveling. She was his primary caregiver, and finds meaning and healing in helping individuals and families who are living with or have lost a loved one to ALS. Juliet lives with her rescue pup, Sailor, on the eastern shore of Maryland, in a home that Jeff chose because it reminded him of his beloved Green Lake in Michigan.
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After my late husband, Jeff, was diagnosed with ALS in the fall of 2018, I could not have managed without the help of other people, and he couldn’t have either. This is hard to write, but even harder to own. Asking for help used to be difficult for me.
I’ve written before about how my late husband, Jeff, drew inspiration from Lou Gehrig, even before his ALS diagnosis in 2018. Today, I’m sharing how I now do the same through Live Like Lou, the ALS organization that bears Gehrig’s name. When I met Jeff,…
I have always been a summer person, relishing how everything in nature quietly comes to life — lush, green grass, abundant wildlife, and densely leafy trees. To me, summer evokes peace, calm, and lazier days. My late husband, Jeff, on the other hand, was a winter person. As much as…
In the wake of ALS loss, certain touchstones bring comfort every time I think of them. This includes small things like funny photographs, private nicknames, and sentimental gifts. In grief, even a favorite old coffee mug can bring immeasurable joy. I have one additional beloved thing, too: a quotation…
I’m not a big believer in making New Year’s resolutions. There’s something that feels bad about setting a goal that’s lofty — learning a new language is one of my perennial favorites, for example — and then not accomplishing it. Plus, I keep a daily to-do list that includes some…
A few weeks before Christmas Day in 2018, my late husband, Jeff, and I sat side by side on the edge of our bed, preparing to create the most meaningful Christmas gifts we’d ever given. Laid out beside us on the bed were four children’s storybooks, each with a Christmas…
My late husband, Jeff, was diagnosed with ALS just before Thanksgiving in 2018. His diagnosis had come swiftly — we’d first heard mention of ALS in July and his illness was confirmed in October, backed by a second opinion in November. Because there’s no definitive test for ALS,…
When my late husband, Jeff, died of ALS in May 2020, I was awash in grief and lived in a world completely inhabited by memories. I obsessed over our every detail of our lives, large and small. Some thoughts were comforting and reminded me of our happy life together:…
This past Sunday dawned crisp and cool on the eastern shore of Maryland, with a hint of light rain falling from a few clouds dappled against an otherwise vivid blue sky. I dressed to be outdoors, making sure my orange Tim Lowrey Panel T-shirt was visible under my jacket,…
One of our greatest sources of joy and normalcy when my late husband, Jeff, was living with ALS was getting out and about in the community. The more ALS seemed intent on changing our life, the more determined Jeff became to find ways around it. I was his…
I have a vivid and beautiful memory from a few summers ago, as my late husband, Jeff, and I lived with his ALS. We were spending a day on the water, as we often did. Jeff had lost his voice and most of his ability to walk,…
My late husband, Jeff, made a dream come true for me. When I was a kid, my dad would take our family on our small powerboat to explore the waters near my hometown of Annapolis, Maryland. If we had enough time and the weather cooperated, we’d take a…
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