Tag: Pain

Grief, Stories, Writing

Podcast Interview is Still Available! – “Living through the loss of a spouse.”

Mark Wayne

Exciting news! A couple months ago I was interviewed by Ronit Plank about my book “Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry” and grief as a young man! I share my walk through cancer with my first wife, her death, the aftermath of grief and my healing.

The interview aired recently on January 12 and is still available. Click the link below to listen to my story and know that you are not alone in whatever kind of grief you may be experiencing.

Episode 59

And Then Everything Changed – Episode 59

God Bless and Live Your Dreams!

Let me know what you think and would you be interested in reading the book when it comes out later this year?

Life, Poetry, Writing

FREEFALLING – Who is there to catch you?

Mark Wayne

In the middle of the night, in the silence, in the darkness the voices in my head often scream the loudest causing my thoughts to freefall, piercing my heart. ❤

Do you have someone who you can trust to always catch you when you are freefalling?

My God is always there to catch me of that I do not doubt. Yet, sometimes I need someone with skin on. 😉

For me, this is my beautiful wife. My warrior queen who has stood by my side for over 25 years. Day in and day out she battles the enemies of our hearts, souls and minds. Enemies from within and from without.

I am blessed!

She reminds me what love, courage and grace were always meant to be.

Who will catch you when you are freefalling?

Grief, Stories, Writing

Podcast Interview is Live – 1/12/2021!

Mark Wayne

Exciting news! A couple months ago I was interviewed by Ronit Plank about my book “Cowboys Aren’t Supposed to Cry” and living through grief as a young man, and today is the air date!

I share my walk through cancer with my first wife, her death and aftermath of grief and the writing of my memoir > Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry. Listen to my story at And Then Everything Changed or any streaming platform. Know that you are not alone in whatever kind of grief you may have or be experiencing.

I pray God’s blessings over each of you. Be a warrior poet and

Live Your Dreams!

Grief, Life, Stories

No Turning Back Now – Podcast Interview

Mark Wayne

Airing this Tuesday, January 12 on the And Then Everything Changed podcast. I was blessed to be a guest and interviewed by host Ronit Plank, her intro on IG is below.

⚡️Next week @mwschutter joins me to talk about nursing his first wife through cancer, becoming a young widower, and what he’s learned about the man he was all those years ago and who he is now.

You can listen in on all the podcast platforms – ITunes, Apple, Spotify and so many others.

This spring you can read more of my journey in my upcoming memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry‘.

Grief, Life, Writing

One Line, No Context, No Explanation

Mark Wayne

“I could not kill her executioner; I could only tend to her now that she was on death row.“ ~Mark Wayne ©2020

The line above is from my upcoming memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry’ to be published by Christian Faith Publishing due out in Spring 2021.

And the best thing you can do with death is to ride off from it? #WickedQuestions #Grief #Memoir #UpcomingBook #Wip

“I could not kill her executioner; I could only tend to her now that she was on death row.” ~Mark Wayne ©2020 #Memoir #OneLine #NoContext #NoExplanation #Teaser

Grief, Stories, Writing

Grief and Loss Changes Us, How Could it Not?

Mark Wayne

The following is taken from the draft introduction to my upcoming memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry’ to be published in Spring of 2021.

Reconciling the Past

Embracing the Present

 Redeeming the Future

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

~Matthew 5:4

“When we suffer loss, when it finds us in one form or another we must first reconcile our past. Second, we must embrace the present, our circumstances and play the cards life has dealt us. Thirdly, we must redeem our future, a vision with new dreams for a new life where there is no finish line. Forever changed we must move forward, a different person with a different trajectory we carry the past with us every step of the way.” ©Mark W. Schutter

Grief and loss changes us, how could it not?

Grief and loss changes us, how could it not? #Memoir #UpcomingBook #TrueStory

What are your thoughts? How do you move forward following loss and what helps you?

Leave me a comment below and have a great day. Remember, you are the hero of your story, who else could be?

#LiveYourDreams

Grief, Life, Stories, Writing

Memoir Update – Signed Publishing Agreement!

Mark Wayne

It’s official!

*Note: Working title and not actual cover.

Exciting news!!! I have signed a publishing and distribution agreement with Christian Faith Publishing for my memoir. I submitted my manuscript to their review board, they accepted the draft and want to publish my book. Woo-hoo! 😁

Signing the agreement with my daughter!
  • It has been a long journey for sure to get to this point, never stop chasing your dreams!
  • Expected publication date is still to be determined, sometime in early 2021.
  • Lots to be done before then – editing, proofing, typesetting, cover design etc.

I have been busy drafting my author bio and the book blurb. That is harder than writing the actual book. Who knew? 😳

Book teaser >

When did we come to believe the best thing you can do with death is ride off from it? In Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry, Mark Wayne tells his story of living a life with grief beginning in his mid-twenties. #Memoir #AmWriting #UpcomingBook #WritersLife

I hope to post some excerpts from the forthcoming book as I go through the editing process as well as other updates here on the blog. So be sure to hit the follow button and sign up for email notifications to get the latest.

*Note: Working title and not actual cover.

I would love to hear your initial impressions or thoughts. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help guide efforts as I move forward in publishing and marketing.

#LiveYourDreams

Poetry

Crimson Pools

Mark Wayne
crimson-pools

We all bleed the same color

We all bleed from hidden wounds

We all will bleed in the end

This is a tumultuous time in our nation and only time will tell how it will be viewed by history. We have so much and it can easily be ruined by only a few. We must –

  • Stand up
  • Stand strong
  • Stand together

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ~Edmund Burke

Life, Stories, Writing

“She died. She is dead.” Thoughts and coming to terms with the words.

Mark Wayne

Widowed and/or bereaved? And does it even really matter when the words don’t change the outcome?

Widowed – verb: past participle: widowed

  1. become a widow or widower; lose one’s spouse through death.
    • Widow – noun: widow; plural noun: widows
      a woman who has lost her spouse by death and has not remarried.
    1. Widower – noun: widower; plural noun: widowers
      a man who has lost his spouse by death and has not remarried.

Bereaved – verb: past participle: bereaved

  1. be deprived of a loved one through a profound absence, especially due to the loved one’s death.

“She died. She is dead. Is the word so difficult to learn?” ~C.S. Lewis {A Grief Observed}

We use the terms ‘lost’, ‘deprived’ and ‘absence’ when the truth is they died. Their physical mortal body ceased to work and they died. You are widowed until you remarry, then no longer a widow or widower? And are you still bereaved every single moment, day, month, and year after losing a loved one?

The pain and the grief, never goes away even when you commit actions that take you in another direction, such as remarrying. Grief is not something you get over, it is something you carry with you for the rest of your life. It irrevocably changes you, how could it not?

Does the soul live on after death? I believe it does and that’s a topic for another blog post.

“Well, we have nothing if not belief.” ~Reepicheep {The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis}