Roger Miller: One in a Million

Roger embraces his path in life better than most. It isn’t easy being a widower (Sequel Maker, in Jack’s speak). He pays attention to his grief and knows that he can live in harmony with it. Last year, Roger took on the task of leading our monthly Sequel Maker Klatch (that’s a support group in Jack’s speak).

Roger shared a pearl of wisdom with the group. “Grief is love with nowhere to put it."

To someone who has lost a spouse, those words are both hard to hear and reassuring. Roger sharing this simple phrase with a group of folks who are carrying grief is a perfect example of his strength and vulnerability.

The room fell silent, and I felt that each of us, in different stages of our grief—some years old, some a matter of weeks—felt solace. Like Roger, we became a little more familiar and perhaps more comfortable with our grief.

Roger demonstrates to others that there is life beyond the loss of a spouse. He is happily married (like really happy) and encourages others to remember those we have lost while allowing joy into our lives.

And this wise man continues to discover new things. Roger shared that he that he learns something from everybody who attends the klatches, particularly the new arrivals. It’s mind-boggling that the stories are all over the place, and they vary widely, but it’s the sameness that we latch onto, and that is what makes the difference.”