Widow 180 The Podcast with Jen Zwinck

In 2006, Amanda's husband Erik was killed in an accident when he was hit by a truck on the side of the road. The driver had suffered a diabetic episode and Erik was killed immediately. Amanda was only 24 years old when she became a widow.  In this episode, Amanda and I chat about: ~meeting Chapter 2! ~bittersweet milestones ~time and grief mind tricks! ~taking off your wedding ring ~starting...

In this week's episode I wanted to talk about those really tough, unbearable, rock bottom, messy moments. Fun topic, right? Well, I know we've all been through them. Unfortunately, this is GRIEF. This is the true picture of what it looks like and what it feels like. I wanted to share one of my rock bottom moments with all of the listeners because I want you to know that you're not a...

Alana McAllister shares the experience of losing her husband Bruce to COVID-19 in the third of this month's series of interviews with widows of COVID. Bruce, an Army veteran and loving husband and father, lost his battle with COVID on March 28, 2020. He was the first person in their county to pass away from the virus. Alana talks about the traumatizing experience of going into the hospital, h...

Pamela Addison, wife of Martin Addison, joins me in Week 2 of a series of episodes with widows who have lost their husbands to COVID-19. Martin Addison lost his battle with COVID April 29, 2020. He was only 44 years old. Pamela was left to raise their 2 small children on her own.  She shares how she started a blog, The Graceful Swan, to help her cope with the loss and how she's used writing a...

Stacy Denoyior joins me today to discuss the loss of her husband Anthony to COVID on April 19, 2020.  Anthony started feeling sick March 22, 2020 and progressively got worse and worse despite the fact that he was young and healthy. Anthony lost his fight with COVID, leaving behind Stacy and their two sons. Stacy and her boys chose to take the money from the GoFundMe account and establish a non-pro...

Sarah Gallagher's husband Mike collapsed suddenly one night at home while Sarah was away at a conference. He passed away several days later. Sarah talks about having a strange feeling, a premonition that something bad was about to happen. Sarah followed through with her dream to have a larger family. One year after losing Mike, she chose to do IVF with a donor and became pregnant on the first...

Emily Lassiter lost her husband Joe in a plane crash in February 2014.  Their two daughters were 7 and 9 years old at the time.  In this episode, Emily shares her story of loss and how she was able to spend time with her girls and travel in order to heal from grief. Emily's father, a financial advisor, acted as her advocate and helped her figure out a plan of action as far as a budget, when s...

I asked Melissa Pierce in our interview "What's the biggest change you've seen in yourself since becoming a widow?" She said to me, " Trusting myself. Relying on myself again to make decisions on my own." I think this is something we can all relate to! Having to take on the burden and responsibility of a household and all of the people in it is not an easy task! So, w...

Melissa Pierce lost her husband Dave suddenly and unexpectedly in 2011. She and her 2 boys found themselves navigating through the tough journey through grief together.    Melissa talks to us today about her struggles with decision-making as a solo-parent and how she had to learn to trust her instincts and rely on herself to raise her family.    In 2017 Melissa wrote a book called Filled With Gold...

In this BONUS episode we are talking about the 'widow rules' we often hear (and self-impose).  What are the "widow rules"? What happens if we break them? There are so many Do's and Don'ts we are SUPPOSED to follow.  Here's a list of the rules and what we can REALLY rely on to get us through the toughest season of our lives. Join us for more discussion on FB at Wi...

Jill Johnson-Young has had the experience of losing not one, but two spouses in her lifetime, both to long term illnesses. Through this, she has learned what it means to love, grieve, reorganize her life, and once again find joy, sunshine, and smiles. Jill specializes in grief and loss, end of life and dementia, and teaches therapists grief-related skills. After more than a decade with hospice she...

What did you accept help with after your spouse passed away? What help did you refuse? What do you wish people had done for you, if only you had asked them to? This bonus episode was inspired by several of my podcast interviews where we talk about the help we get after our spouses pass away.  In the immediate aftermath, we are so confused and overwhelmed and in shock, we can't think straight...

Terriann Muller lost her husband Mark after a 7 month battle with esophageal cancer. She had just lost her mom to lung cancer the prior year. This compounded grief caused her to experience both physical and mental exhaustion. Terriann sought help from a health coach, a life coach, and a naturopathic physician.   Then in 2017, after a powerful 10 day mission trip to India, Terriann decided to make...

Jocelyne Baker-Johnson lost her husband Phil on Friday July 13, 2007 when a tree fell on his truck while driving to a campsite. Thrown into widowhood with 4 young children, Jocelyne found she had to pick up the broken pieces of their life.  She found herself at a charity fundraiser event 4 months after Phil died and was faced with a pivotal moment in her new life. She decided to go to Uganda to vo...

Viki Brown lost her husband Dustin at the young age of 34 in a tragic single car accident. Their children were 6, 5, and not even 1 year old at the time.  Viki turned to a grief support center, Ryan's place, to help both her and her children grieve the loss of Dustin. Shortly after attending, she felt a strong calling to open a children's grief center in her own town.  She mentioned the...

Alex Sinclair lost her husband Lee to lung cancer in July 2018. Alex leaned on her beloved dog and best friend Phoebe for support to get her through her loss. When Phoebe fell ill one afternoon, Alex took her to the vet and was shocked when her debit card was declined to pay for the visit. A man Alex had met online had stolen almost $60,000 out of her bank account through hacking into her accounts...

Jenny Lisk's entire world shut down and turned upside down with her husband, Dennis's sudden diagnosis of glioblastoma.  Within a few short months, Jenny became full time caregiver for Dennis, who lost his battle with brain cancer in January 2016.  Jenny documented the year from diagnosis until Dennis's death through Caring Bridge, an online blog/journal for families going through i...

There's one question I try to ask every one of my guests on Widow 180: The Podcast and that question is: What's one piece of advice you can give to new widows? Here's a list of the Top Ten answers I've found to be the most helpful!   If you can think of any other advice to give to new widows, I want to hear it!  DM on IG @widow_180 Join our Facebook group Widow 180 Community an...

One evening, Kathryn's husband Larry pulled her aside, sat her down, and very seriously explained to her that he felt like he didn't have any more goals in life. He had nothing more to live for. He didn't know why, but he felt he needed to tell her that. 2 weeks later Larry passed away suddenly from a blood clot.    Kathryn became a widow at 42 years old.   She had a disappointing e...

This is a super quick Tuesday Tip episode!   I wanted to share with you something that helped me get over my fears of dating again and putting myself out there after losing Brent.   Because it's scary, right?! We can let ourselves talk us into some pretty crazy, self-doubt spirals sometimes.  But it's all in your mindset and your attitude.  Keep reminding yourself that you are empowered,...

Catfishing, confidence, new chapters, security, The Law of Attraction, making better choices, online scammers, loss and love and all things dating a widow! This is episode 33 with Jenna Lebron! Join us for this nitty gritty discussion, where some your Facebook questions get answered!   To take the QUIZ to see if you're ready to start dating again, go to www.widow180.ck.page/datingquiz And to...

I was honored this week to have our first male guest on the show! Doug Zwinck, my husband, is here today to talk about what it's like to date a widow! Widows have so much stress and concern when it comes to dating again after loss, so I wanted to share a guy's point of view about all of it.  Did he have any concerns? Was there any hesitation about dating a widow? We also talk about his o...

In this episode we cover the 4 biggest mistakes widows make when it comes to dating again after loss - - and how to avoid them! Listen, for a widow, dating can be tricky and confusing and downright intimidating! However, dating can be fun and exciting IF you avoid making these mistakes.  My mission this week (and every week) is to arm you with the knowledge and know-how to navigate life after loss...

Welcome to this special episode of the podcast featuring my two dear friends Ashley Neumann and Jamie Hattier. These ladies have joined me today for a discussion on dating again after loss! There are many, MANY things involved in dating again including: ~Feeling guilty ~What type of relationship do you want right now? Just fun? Looking for a serious relationship? ~ When to introduce the kids to a...

On December 29, 2015, Nadja Ensink-Teich's husband, Jeroen, left their house and walked to the corner to mail some postcards. Moments later he was fatally stabbed by a complete stranger walking by. Nadja's life was completely changed in one horrific moment. Nadja shares with us her journey through grief and motherhood, caring for her baby girl, Fleur.  She talks about how her decision to...