The Widowed Parent Podcast

I had such a great discussion with Whitney Kobrin for this episode. Whitney is herself widowed, and she really wanted to focus our discussion on giving hope to people who feel stuck. She's a love coach, but we didn't talk about dating or relationships—we talked about self-love and self-compassion. We also talked about the advice you may have heard to not make any major changes in the first year. T...

I had such a great discussion with Dr. Elena Lister and Dr. Michael Schwartzman for this episode. I'm going to keep this brief and make just one suggestion: If you're a widowed parent, buy this book. If you know a widowed parent, buy it for them. Seriously. The stuff the authors cover is exactly the sort of stuff I was wondering about when my husband, Dennis, was diagnosed with terminal brain canc...

I had such a great discussion with Charlene Lam for this episode. Charlene said she'd like to share with my listeners why she believes we are all curators after a loved one dies. I thought that sounded intriguing, so I invited her on the show. Little did I know I'd end up with some new items on my to-do list! We brainstormed what to do with the pile of old DVDs I have – including all the seasons o...

I had such a great discussion with Jon Lefrandt for this episode. As we close out Children's Grief Awareness Month, I'm really excited to share Jon's story and perspective with you. He lost his dad when he was just 24—and he had to step in and help care for his six younger siblings and help them with their grief, both short term and long term. I know you'll learn a lot from what Jon has to share w...

I had such a great discussion with Melissa Williams-Gurian for this episode. I'm grateful Melissa was willing to speak with me because she doesn't do this work professionally; she shares with us from her own personal experience of losing her mom when she was 15. Perhaps this is around the ages some of our kids were. Talking with people who lost a parent at a young age is always such a privilege. I...

I had such a great discussion with Sandra Began for this episode. Sandra lost her husband to suicide when their boys were nine and eleven. She was really open about just how difficult it is for survivors of suicide loss. This is an important discussion, both for widowed parents who lost their partners to suicide, and for those who love and support them in order to better understand just how hard i...

I had such a great discussion with Erin Browning for this episode. It's Children's Grief Awareness Month, and we have a little different topic for you this week. We're talking about being a stepparent who has grieving stepkids when your spouse—their parent—dies. Erin is very thoughtful on this topic, because she's seen it from both sides: her dad died when she was in college and was married to her...

I had such a great discussion with Kelsey Chittick for this episode. Kelsey is a widowed parent, and in this episode she reflects on losing her husband suddenly. He actually died in front of their kids at the trampoline park, when she was out of the country. Be sure to listen for the part where she shares the most valuable lesson she learned: that she didn't have to try to fix everything for her k...

I had such a great discussion with Debbie Weiss for this episode. We talk about three different aspects of Debbie's grief experience: losing her mom at age 10; losing her husband at age 50; and dating in middle-age widowhood. Debbie is the author of the new book Available As Is: A Midlife Widow's Search for Love . -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Grief Coach -  Grief support text messaging...

I had such a great discussion with Allison Gilbert for this episode. Allison was my guest back in episode 35, where we talked about her book Passed and Present , and about ways to keep the memory of our loved ones alive. This week, we talk about her new book, which is called: Listen, World! It's a biography – and in our discussion we uncovered the important idea that biography is perhaps an under-...

I had such a great discussion with Barri Leiner Grant for this episode. One of the most important takeaways from our discussion is this: grief support comes in different forms, and it's important to understand some of the options so you can find something that feels right for you. -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Grief Coach -  Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support deliver...

I had such a great discussion with Meghan Riordan Jarvis for this episode. Meghan is a trauma therapist, and what she had to say about trauma and grief kind of blew my mind. This discussion is one of a special pair of episodes: Meghan and I talked twice in the same week — once for her show, once for mine — so do be sure to listen to both discussions. You can find my interview on Meghan's Grief is...

I had such a great discussion with Adam Carter of the National Alliance for Children's Grief for this episode. We talked all about how social media can be a helpful tool, plus tips and suggestions for parents when it comes to teen social media use as it relates to grief and grieving. Check out the  word cloud , and then listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast app! -=-=-=-=- Thank you s...

I had a great discussion with Joseph James for this episode. I'm really glad that Joseph reached out to me about coming on the show, because this show is not just for moms. It's is very definitely for all widowed parents. And I think it's useful to hear a variety of perspectives, and a variety of styles of grieving, and parenting. And as Joseph tells us, he didn't feel like parenting came naturall...

I had such a great discussion with Paula Harris for this episode. Paula's financial planning firm specializes in working with widowed people, and she's also the author of Rise Up: A Widow's Journal. Check out the word cloud for this episode, and then listen to our full discussion! -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Grief Coach -  Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support deliver...

I had such a great discussion with Lisa Valentine Clark for this episode. Lisa is a widowed mom of 5, and she lost her husband two years ago to ALS. Check out the word cloud for this episode, and then listen to our full discussion. -=-=-=-=- Thank you sponsors & partners: Grief Coach -  Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support delivered all year long, personalized based on your loss....

I had such a great discussion with Zibby Owens for this episode. Zibby has a delightful podcast all about books & authors, and a thoughtful new memoir, Bookends, which dives deep into grief. Some topics Zibby and I discuss include: Zibby's podcast, Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books, and some of her favorite grief memoirs; Her own brand-new memoir, Bookends; Losing her best friend on 9/11, and the...

I had such a great discussion with Kristin Meekhof for this episode. Kristin is an author, and I invited her on the show because she is both widowed herself and is someone who lost a parent at a young age. Plus, this week we have a giveaway, where one lucky winner will get signed copies of both Kristin's book, A Widow's Guide to Healing , and my own book, Future Widow . If you're listening around...

I had such a great discussion with Rebecca Soffer for this episode. Rebecca is not a widowed parent, but many widowed parents and others turn to her book and her community, Modern Loss, for support and connection. And now, Rebecca has a brand-new book: The Modern Loss Handbook. It's a beautiful, full-color book, and Rebecca calls it "an interactive guide to moving through grief and building your r...

I had such a great discussion with Kim Murray for this episode. Kim is a widowed parent, and we have so much in common. Her husband died of glioblastoma, as did mine. Her kids were 8 and 10 when he was diagnosed; mine were those ages, too. Most importantly, though, Kim gets real with us. She talks about things people aren't willing to talk about – including her son's struggles beginning a few year...

I had such a great discussion with Stacy Francis for this episode. Stacy is a certified financial planner who specializes in working with women going through transitions, including becoming widowed. I invited her on the show because this is such an important topic, and it's helpful to be able to ask an expert our questions about money, taxes, and social security. Some topics Stacy and I discuss in...

I had such a great discussion with Karen Phelps Moyer for this episode. I first learned of Karen's work because she founded Camp Erin, which is a camp for kids ages 6-17 who are grieving the loss of a loved one, and which runs camps in many locations across the US. Now, Karen is working with widowed people and others to reimagine love after loss. I had the pleasure of talking with her initially ba...

I had such a great discussion with Maria Vassiliou for this episode. Maria lost her mom when she was just two years old. As an adult, she's studied thanatology and started a podcast dedicated to exploring and expanding the conversation about death. Her podcast is called Philotimo Life. Some topics Maria and I discuss include: Maria and her dad moving in with her dad's parents a few years after her...

I had such a great discussion with Sherri Fisher for this episode. Sherri is a learning specialist who has worked both in schools and in private practice. I wanted to invite her to the show this week because she has so much wisdom and experience to share with us on the topic of support for kids who are struggling in school. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the world of education has gotten more...

I had such a great discussion with Heather Stang for this episode. Heather is founder of the Mindfulness & Grief Institute, where she facilitates Awaken, a mindfulness-based online grief group, offers individual sessions, and hosts the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast. Even though we recorded this discussion some months back, I think it's a great time right now, with the new year having just started, t...