While my husband was dying of cancer, my two sons stopped talking to each other. Somehow, this exact moment in time escaped me. When I finally realized they weren't talking, I was horrified. I tried to get them to reconcile before their dad's death. One son, who always kept talking to his brother--even faced with the silence of no answers--so wanted to reconcile. My other son would not.

A couple of days before my husband died, we all held hands and celebrated who we were; despite everything, we were wonderful, just as we were. It was a lovely moment. But even my husband's plea, as a dad dying of cancer, would not make my one son speak to the other.

It's been about five years since my husband died. My talking son finally told me he would never visit home again if my non-talking son were there. I told my non-talking son this; shortly thereafter, he apologized via text, and my sons now talk. They like each other again!

I was concerned for my two sons, without a dad, and only me in the world to be there for them. They made it past it, and I realized what a strain it was to be everything to both of them. Now they have each other as well as me. And they can (and do) trade "mom" stories about me. Go for it!