A conference for widows? Yes, it exists and it is called Camp Widow. Last Saturday, I spent all day at a Camp Widow pop up. Camp Widow is typically a weekend-long event, but the pop up is just one day, which makes it more accessible for some people. All Camp Widow events bring together widowed people to learn from and support each other. The events are put together by the Soaring Spirits organization, which researches and supports widowhood. It’s basically a conference for widowed people, with large-format addresses to the whole crowd and breakout sessions on specific topics.

Being surrounded by other widowed people is an incredible experience. In a support group, there may be ten or so other widows. At Camp Widow, there are 100+. Being in a room full of widows, where widowhood is not just normal but expected, is liberating. The whole time I was there, I knew deep in my soul that I would not come across as weird or be judged as grieving for “too long.” I talked to many people who immediately “got me.” Widows are my people—we can talk for 20 minutes, completely skip the small talk, and go right to, “How far out are you?” (widowspeak for “when did your person die?”) or “How are things with your in-laws?” There’s no need to worry about being the awkward person who brings everyone down or trying to figure out an organic way to mention that you are a widow.

At Camp Widow, the definition of “widow” is inclusive. Anyone who feels like they lost “their person” to death counts as a widow. There are some widow groups that parse out who gets to claim the title of “widow,” but Camp Widow uses a broad definition. Participants are reminded frequently throughout the event that no one’s grief can be measured against someone else’s. Regardless of how long you’ve been grieving or what the circumstances are of your person’s death, if you feel you belong at Camp Widow, you are welcomed.

The entire event was designed and organized to be safe and inclusive. A day or so before the event, registrants received an email about a motorcycle safety course taking place at the same location as the camp; because so many widows lost their person to motorcycle accidents, the organizers wanted to give folks a heads up that they might see motorcycles. The email mentioned that support people would be available if anyone was activated by the sight of motorcycles. That’s the kind of small gesture that goes a long way toward inclusivity.

Throughout the entire event, volunteers were visible to help us find rooms for sessions, answer questions about the organization or the schedule, and guide us toward bathrooms. It was a far cry from most conferences I’ve been to where I can never find anyone to read room number signs to me—or when I do find someone, they are condescending about having to read to an adult.

There were sessions on love after loss, what to do with your loved one’s things, common concerns for people who are newly widowed, 1-3 years out, 3-5 years out, more than 5 years out, and my personal favorite: navigating widowhood as an introvert. The session itself was useful, but the best part was being able to identify other introverts during the rest of the event. I knew exactly who would be ok with sitting with me in near silence during lunch. Throughout the sessions I attended, I got the clear message that what I was feeling was normal—that there is no shelf life on grief.

For the entire time I was at Camp Widow, I was normal. I got an 8-hour respite from monitoring and managing my emotions. I cried when I felt like crying, without any concern for who would notice or what they would think. I saw others do the same. It was glorious.

The next two days were not so glorious. I was exhausted, fuzzy-brained, and anxious. Despite how amazing the Camp was and the liberation of not having to manage my emotions, there was a distinct “hangover” effect. I was in a daze most of Sunday and exceedingly cranky on Monday. Today (Tuesday) I mostly slept. Camp Widow didn’t lessen my grief at all; in fact, my grief feels fresher now, perhaps because of being able to freely express it at Camp Widow.

And I am glad I went. So much of being widowed involves “and.” I can cry and feel joy. I can be inspired by Camp Widow and the pain of my heartbreak can feel fresh again. I can love my late husband with all my heart and I can move forward with my life. To most people, that sounds like a contraction, but to my 100+ new widow friends, it makes sense.