The Widow Podcast

In this episode, I want to give you a widow pep talk. I want to give you some words of encouragement to help you see how courageous, inspiring and incredible you are. In our journey through grief, acknowledging the things that we've done since our person has died can be challenging. Some people find this a little easier while others may feel disloyal. It can be hard to acknowledge the things that...

When you’re widowed there will be people in your life who will want to support you in your grief. They’re showing up because they care about you.  They may not always know the right thing to say, or do, as what works for one person doesn’t always work for another.  Grief is daunting, uncomfortable and scary for so many. Let's not make this worse by expecting them to get it all right all...

Talking about death and dying is as difficult, if not more so, as talking about grief and grieving. It feels deeply uncomfortable for a lot of us and we are unsure of how to have these conversations with our loved ones. I get a lot of messages from people giving end of life care and there’s a real fear of getting it wrong, either by saying too much or not enough. When we think about preparing for...

Christmas is a difficult time of the year when grieving the loss of a life partner, we feel the heavy weight of expectation and our grief can feel even more invisible than ever. And, as a widow, it is incredibly hard for us to talk about our grief and how we are truly feeling, we fear being a greater burden on everyone else and darkening their Christmas with our sadness. So often, as a result, as...

When those around you tell you you’re being so brave, you're doing so well, we are so proud of you, is your first instinct to say, ‘What choice do I have?’ As a widow the grief we endure often leaves us feeling we have no choice in what we do or feel. In this episode we’ll discuss: How to overcome the opinions of others How to start looking at all the good choices we are making Re-learn a new way...

When will I feel better? This is a question most widows ask after losing a partner. The truth is, no one knows how long grief will last. Some people find peace within months. For others, the journey can take years. We can all agree that nothing can replace your person, but that is not reason enough to lose hope.  If you feel like there is no hope in your journey through widowhood, remember yo...

How long should grief last? For some people, 12 months may still feel as fresh as the first day. For others, a month may feel like everything happened a lifetime ago. A lot of people are shocked by how different the stages of grief can look like. But what every widow learns to understand is that grief takes work. It's not something that just goes away on its own. Time might heal a broken bone, it...

How soon is "normal" enough for a widow to start craving intimacy? Is it even possible to have a genuine desire for someone new after the death of a loved one? The simple answer is yes. But unfortunately, widowhood has traditionally been constructed as an asexual period. A widow may look to move forward, but not without the risk of being judged. A widow may crave intimacy from another, but not wit...

As weird as it sounds, jealousy during grief is normal. It's certainly not malicious jealousy, neither is it jealousy that causes anger or outbursts. But it's real and many of us feel it after losing a loved one.  The big question is, why do we feel so jealous of people who still have their loved ones? Why is jealousy such a big part of the grieving process? In today's episode, we'll talk abo...

One of the most unsettling emotions during grief is guilt. People feel guilt for several reasons, many of which don't make sense. Unfortunately, grief has a way of manifesting toxic personal blame and shame. In today's episode, we'll tackle why we're likely to feel guilty after the loss of a loved one. We'll also explore the roots of guilt and learn how to break free from its claws. What You'll Le...

Whether real, imagined, or received from interactions with people in their lives, grieving widows often feel like a burden to those around them. When internalised repeatedly, these messages can cause people to conclude that their physical and emotional needs are invalid. Yes, our grief is our responsibility. Yes, we have to take responsibility for our grief because nobody's coming to save us. But...

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Almost everyone has heard about the five stages of grief. However, these 5 stages were first proposed in 1969, which is why many people question their relevance in today's world. Plus, despite their popularity, grief researchers have continuously demonstrated that everyone handles grief in their own distinct way. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, the creator...

Grief is the human body's natural response to loss. It's the emotional pain you feel when the person you love is taken away. Although we'll all grieve at some point or another, grief is very personal. It's not neat, nor is it linear. It doesn't follow any scripts, deadlines or schedules. You may become angry, cry, withdraw or feel lost. But none of these things are abnormal or wrong; everyone reac...

There's a lot of advice out there about grief, but most people fail to understand that grief is personal and that there's quite a mixture of feelings involved. For example, when your spouse dies, you may feel numb, confused and fearful. You may feel angry at your spouse for leaving you. You may even feel guilty for being the one who is still alive. I'm here to tell you that all these feelings are...

Regardless of age, a partner's death can be one of the most challenging events in a person's life. What saddens me most is when I see people expecting too much of themselves too soon. Navigating life without your partner is a process that takes time. And how you use that time is crucial to your ability to adapt and cope. The good news is you don't have to do it alone. My name is Karen Sutton, I’m...

When your husband dies you are thrown into a world you no longer recognise and you have no idea how you’re going to get through the next five minutes, let alone the next five days.   So what do you do now? This is the big question and something I want to talk about here in this episode.   There really are few things in life as painful as the death of a spouse and there will be times when...

I speak to so many people and read so many posts where people talk about the fact they hate having to call themselves a widow.   It wasn’t long after Simon died that I realised I was a widow myself, at 39, but I did not feel hatred for the term, even though it meant my husband was dead.   The term widow does not define who you are, it is a label that describes a part of your life, not yo...

You are going to love this conversation, Heather is so honest and open in this episode and shares so much wisdom you will have a few aha moments I’m sure. Heather shares her story of loss from when her husband, and childhood sweetheart, Larry died in 2018. Heather had to believe that her life could be good again after Larry died, the alternative was not an option for her. Heather believes we have...

This week's episode is a conversation about blending life as a remarried widow and how it works for Jess and her husband Don. Jess’s first husband Justin died tragically in 2014 when their son Jax was just three days old. Jess moved back in with her parents and sold the family home whilst she worked through grief and being a new mum. Around sixteen months after Justin died Jess decided to dip her...

This is honestly such a powerful and meaningful conversation, I cannot wait for you to hear it. Marie and I talk about how we discover who we are after the loss of a life partner and it is so good, Marie blows me away in parts. This conversation left me absolutely buzzing, so much wisdom, honesty and mind blowing thoughts are shared, you will walk away feeling richer and more empowered for having...

I am so thrilled to be able to share this conversation with you, Jo is such a beautiful soul and I absolutely love talking to her, I could have carried on for hours. I feel like Jo is a kindred spirit, her energy is so warm and full of optimism. I just wish we lived closer and could be friends in real life. Jo’s husband Craig died at home in the middle of the night from an asthma attack in 2017. J...

I am thrilled to be able to share this conversation with you as it is so inspiring. Dana is a widow, cancer survivor and founder of The Forced Joy Project, and here she shares so much from her own journey through widowhood you can’t help but feel inspired by her. Dana’s husband Brad died in January 2017 and since then it has become Dana’s mission to inspire and empower others to find joy in the mi...

When we lose a life partner there are so many secondary losses but there’s one loss that often goes unnoticed and is hard to share with others, this can leave us feeling very alone and sometimes quite ashamed. The loss of intimacy is a real loss, being touched, hugged, kissed or sexually fulfilled leaves us with a huge void. We were in a loving relationship with our person and all of a sudden they...