Relationship coach and remarried widower Abel Keogh joined guest host Connie Willis (info) to provide his unique insight into widower relationships. Keogh has successfully helped thousands of women know whether the widowers they are dating are ready for serious relationships, as well as assisted widowers in understanding what it takes to overcome grief and how to open their hearts to other women.
Keogh, who was widowed at age 26, gained a following after he began blogging about his day-to-day experiences as a widower trying to date again. "Most widowers start dating before they're done grieving... most of them are dating or at least thinking about dating again months after their late wife died," he said. Keogh spoke to one widower who joined an online dating service three weeks after his spouse had passed. Among widowers there is an almost universal desire to date again soon in order to fill the hole left from the loss of a spouse, he revealed, noting these relationships usually do not end well.
Keogh cautioned those who might date a widower to beware of what he calls widower's privilege, or behavior that would not normally be tolerated in a relationship. This happens when the new partner has empathy for what the widower is going through and allows them to get away with bad behavior, he explained. It is important for someone dating a widower to communicate their expectations, set boundaries, and to not lower their standards to be with them.
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During the latter half of the program, artist and Yakama Nation member Hollyanna CougarTracks discussed Bigfoot, and her experiences and relationship with the creature. Known as KwiiKwiyai (the "Whistler) among the Yakama, they are the caretakers of forest (Related Artwork), she explained. "Bigfoot is the protector of all living things — they protect the forest, the trees, the land, the plants, the water, the air, everything and anything that makes up the forest," CougarTracks said. What happens to the forest if they die and there is no one left to care for it, she asked.
CougarTracks considers herself to be a protector of Bigfoot, and admits to actively working against Bigfoot researchers by destroying footprints and hair samples. She shared a story about finding Bigfoot prints by a barn entrance and sweeping them away with a heavy duty broom before researchers arrived. "I just want people to leave the Bigfoot alone, stop trying to do research, stop trying to hunt, [and] stop putting bounties on them," CougarTracks said, noting "anytime I find anything when I'm out in the woods I destroy it, even if it's a partial print." The longer we can keep Bigfoot hidden the better, she added.