BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — To say, “I understand how you’re feeling,” with any truth, one must have experienced a similar pain or loss in their own life. One Inez woman understands the grief of losing a husband and has formed a support group, Widow’s Heart, that is bringing comfort to many grieving the loss of their own spouses.
Ann Horn and her late husband, Mossie, were blessed with 51 years of marriage and made a wonderful life together in the county they loved. After Mossie died in 2021, Horn soon found herself spiraling into a deep depression as she strived to continue living without the love of her life by her side. She believes that without the mercy and blessing of God, she would not have survived.
“It was like I was walking around in a daze all the time,” said Horn. “I was deeply depressed, cried all the time and experienced one bout of grief after another. I didn’t know how to do life without him, even though I was blessed to have support from my children Michelle and Kevin, extended family, friends and members of my church. The loss of companionship—going from being a team to a single person—was more than I could bear.”
About six months after her husband’s death, Horn awoke in the middle of the night in tears, overcome with unbearable pain and grief, so she got up to pray. She not only prayed for herself but for other widows on the same painful journey.
“I was crying out to God for help, and I told him if he didn’t help me, I didn’t think I could make it any longer. At that time, I heard him speak to my heart and the words he said were, ‘Many widows are suffering in silence,’” said Horn.
“Those words sparked a desire in my spirit to find a way to reach out to widows within the county and the local region. I felt this was what I was meant to do. I continued to pray for the Lord to send me women who felt the same calling and that together, we could do his will.”
Horn continued, “I knew that God loved and cared for all the widows who were grieving the loss of their spouse, but not all of them had a support system or someone to share their story with. We all have a tendency, when asked how we’re doing, just to say, ‘I’m OK.’ We don’t want to burden others with our pain, and sometimes it’s hard to share our personal thoughts with other individuals, even if they’re family or close friends. Instead, we suffer in silence. We may keep ourselves busy during the days, but when nighttime rolls around, we are still lying down alone and waking up alone, and that is one of the hardest things to accept when you lose your spouse. Holidays and special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries are also especially hard to get through.”
Horn said on two separate occasions, she found herself sharing her desire to form a support group with two friends, Debbie McCoy and Karen Williams, who were struggling to cope with the death of their own husbands. Both women pledged to be fully committed to assisting her with answering her calling in any way possible. Horn accepted that as a sign from God that he was confirming the need he had placed on her heart. Within a short time, the women had a list of approximately 50 names of widows in the county.
“The numbers are far greater than most realize until you take the time to gather the names,” said Horn.
Widow’s Heart has been meeting ever since, and the scripture in Job 29:13 is fulfilled: “And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.”
The group often gathers in the upstairs room at Shufflin’ Café on Main Street in Inez, other restaurants and various churches throughout the county. The location is subject to change to accommodate widows with special needs or conflicts in scheduling.
The next Widow’s Heart meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. at the Collier Center in Inez. Horn wishes to extend a special invitation to widows from Martin County and all surrounding counties. She hopes to grow a support system of like-minded women who have experienced the same loss and who desire comfort and strength to move forward and find joy and peace.
“God is our great comforter; he is our source of strength and will see us through,” said Horn. “During our darkest, grief-filled moments, we must cry out to him. We have to believe and have faith for a better tomorrow.”
For additional information about the Widow’s Heart meetings, contact Horn at 606-939-2125 or follow “Widow’s Heart Ministry” on Facebook.