CJ Holetz

Grateful for Support, I Walk in Memory of CJ

This past January, I suddenly lost my husband, CJ. We were married 10 years and were in the middle of adopting a child, so his passing turned my world upside down. I was not prepared for it, but Care Dimensions has been helping me through this most challenging period of my life.

CJ was on hospice services for only a very short time and died peacefully at the Kaplan Family Hospice House. I learned right away that Care Dimensions is about more than hospice care. After his passing, the Care Dimensions grief support team shared resources to help me through my grief and healing process.

A grief counselor met with me and connected me with the Newly Bereaved workshop and the Young Widows Group. These groups have been virtual because of the pandemic; however, that has not changed the intent of the them at all. They are helping me through my grieving, especially the Young Widows Group. The other widows and I have found the Young Widows Group so helpful that we still meet via Zoom every week even though the official sessions have finished. We enjoy and find comfort in talking with each other. Connecting with these other widows who have the same feelings as me and sharing tips with them makes me realize that I am not alone. And that has been keeping me going through my healing process.

The Walk for Hospice

The grief groups were an amazing thing offered to me, and I want these services to be available to everyone who needs them. That is why I have decided to participate in this year’s Care Dimensions Walk for Hospice. I want to help raise funds so that others who are grieving can benefit from all of the grief support programs that Care Dimensions provides.

This year the Walk for Hospice is virtual, so I had the idea to plan a small local walk with some friends and family.

I took to Facebook to let my friends and family know about my plans to be a part of the Walk for Hospice as the Walking for CJ team. Their response has been incredible. CJ and I have friends and family living in many different places, and although we cannot be together right now, many of them want to participate and walk in their local areas. So now, the Walking for CJ team has members from Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, DC, New York, and Latvia. 

I want everyone to feel connected as we walk for CJ, so I am planning to have us all walk on the same day: October 9^th, which is CJ’s birthday. I am also planning to make team T-shirts and send them to everyone walking, so we feel like a team on the day of the Walk.

I am happy that so many of our friends and family will be walking in memory of CJ and giving back to a great cause.

Support the Care Dimensions Walk for Hospice.

About the author
Toby Holetz resides in Marblehead, MA.