Widow We Do Now?

Well, it hasn't quite been a relaxing summer, but Anita and Mel are back after life smacked both of them upside the head a few times (or knocked one of them right into the hospital). Check out this episode to get the scoop on what has happened - good, bad, and scammy! And speaking of scams, be sure to check out this episode for a quick update on current things to watch out for! Sponsored by:...

Anita and Mel have had some crazy things happen in the last little while, so new episodes will be back up in July!  Sponsored by: BetterHelp.com. Save 10% off the first month of online therapy done securely, online with our unique link: https://trybetterhelp.com/wwdn Mint Mobile: Mobile phone plans with great service and coverage starting at $15/month https://trymintmobile.com/wwdn Join our Patreo...

Eileen Bellew joins Anita and Mel to talk about the sudden death of her husband, John, on January 23, 2005 also known as "Black Sunday," one of the deadliest days in FDNY history . Her husband, FDNY firefighter John Bellew, was one of six firefighters trapped in a Bronx apartment fire. The day became known as "Black Sunday" because three FDNY firefighters died in two separate f...

Anita found Jess Anderson completely by accident through a comment on Threads, and what followed was one of those instant connections that feels like it was meant to happen. Jess shares the story of loving her husband through cystic fibrosis, a double lung transplant, and the years of hope, fear, and resilience that came with chronic illness. After his death, life dealt another heartbreaking blow...

When you're a sober alcoholic, a divorcee, and a widow, you might know a thing or two about rebuilding your life. Jennifer Newberg joins Anita and Mel to chat about what all this looks like with honesty, humor, and zero interest in pretending healing is linear. After the death of her husband, Jennifer eventually created widow wellness retreats through building spaces where widows can reconnec...

Christine Fader joins Anita and Mel from Canada to talk about the death of her husband, Michael, and the reality of living through not one but two cancer diagnoses. In 2018, Michael was diagnosed with the “good” kind of throat cancer. In 2020, he was diagnosed with a completely new and far more aggressive lung cancer. By November 2022, he was gone. Michael’s terminal cancer was both aggressive and...

Dating is already complicated—add grief, trauma, and modern communication norms, and it becomes a whole new landscape. This week, Lauren Salaun helps Anita and Mel dig into what it actually looks like to date after loss: how to approach it as a widow, how trauma can show up in your body (yes, even your immune system), and how to figure out what you really want now. They talk attraction vs. compati...

Dorothy Kane is not a grandmother. She is a 36-year-old widow from Toronto who is just four months into life after loss. With a newborn at home and maternity leave underway, Dorothy shares what it’s like navigating fresh grief while caring for a brand-new life. She opens up about losing her husband to lupus, and the disorienting overlap of heartbreak, exhaustion, and responsibility—all while not y...

Anita and Mel are catching up after spring break—grief, growth, and the weird ways time keeps moving whether you’re ready or not. Anita opens up about a heavy realization about her kids: the stretch of time after their dad’s death didn’t just pass—it quietly closed doors. Some of the kids missed windows where they would’ve been starting activities, playing on sports teams, and building routines… a...

Meet our friend Dennis. Dennis was widowed from his long-time partner Michelle, who died from ampullary adenocarcinoma - a rare, malignant tumor arising from the spot where the bile and pancreatic ducts empty into the small intestine. Dennis discusses with Anita and Mel how he and Michelle were legally set up before her death so he could make decisions in her best interest before AND after her dea...

Leslie Harter Berg, known for her Vids for Wids , joins Widow We Do Now to talk about the loss of her husband, Ryan, who died from arteriovenous malformations, and what life has looked like in the years since. She shares the reality of early grief, what it meant to rebuild, and how her path eventually led to remarriage — something that can feel complicated, unexpected, and even conflicting in wido...

Sara Gregerman became a widow when her platonic life partner, Joanna, died from brain cancer. Sara is asexual. Joanna was first her best friend, then the person she built a life with—and the person she was planning to marry. Their partnership didn’t follow the usual scripts people imagine when they hear the word “widow,” but it was loving, deeply committed, and built out of years of choosing each...

When your husband was a deeply kind and loving person who brought joy and warmth into the lives of the people around him, it goes without saying that this is the kind of person everyone needs. Katie Goetz shares with Anita and Mel how the complications of addiction came as a shock, because she didn’t know he had been struggling until he became seriously ill. The addiction had been hidden, largely...

Julia Robinson is not here to fit in a box — and she’s definitely not here to let widowhood be reduced to a single storyline. As an AuDHD widow, mom to a non-binary child, and someone who was in an open marriage before her husband’s death, Julia brings sharp wit, self-awareness, and zero interest in changing herself to make other people comfortable. In this episode, she talks about navigating loss...

It's not an uncommon phrase: "I felt like I got hit by a truck." But Jessica Medlin, school principal, avid runner, and recent widow actually DID get hit by a truck. Join Jessica, Anita, and Mel as they discuss widowhood, kids, work, what it's like to wake up in the hospital with crushed body parts, the criminal justice system, and whether or not you'd want a gold or plati...

Erin Clark, the widowed creator behind How’s the Weather,  joins Anita and Mel to talk about life after losing her husband, the emotional whiplash of grief, and how widowhood can shift from “I’m fine” to “I’m not okay” faster than anyone sees coming. Together, they unpack the daily realities: navigating triggers, handling the well-meaning check-ins, and learning how to answer the simplest question...

Fiona de la Mezzo joins Anita and Mel all the way from Australia to talk about life after loss, love after cancer, and what happens when you decide to date again before you’re remotely ready. After losing her husband to cancer, Fiona opens up about the strange pressure to “make memories” while someone is dying, and how that expectation can feel heavy, performative, and impossible in the middle of...

In this episode, Anita and Mel get together to discuss current widow happenings. Anita shares one of her wildest post-widowhood adventures yet—getting asked to dance. Meanwhile, Mel dives into the growing conversation around AI awareness and what it means for regular people, independent creators, and big businesses.  *Check our Patreon for AD FREE Episodes, or to submit tributes of your person to...

Anita and Mel are joined by guest Tina Newman for a real-talk episode on dating after widowhood—because it’s never as simple as “moving on.” They chat about how Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) can turn life upside down, what widows actually want, and how we decide what to do with our past when we start over. This episode also gets into messy blended family stuff—stepkid issues, what happens when t...

Meet our friend Kate. She's that cute friend that can fit in Anita's pocket but will pack a hefty throat punch if warranted. Kate's husband, Jeff, died by suicide at his place of work in 2024 after ingesting something called Kratom. In this episode, Kate shares what happened, what she wants people to understand about kratom, and the complex mental health struggles Jeff faced. This i...

Kim Walker never expected to become a widow—especially not in the middle of an ordinary day. In this episode, Kim joins Anita and Mel from Germany to share the story of losing her husband, Lee, unexpectedly just one year ago as he was on his way to work.  Whether it's Formula 1 racing, traveling the world, or spending time with her dog Lando, Kim is showing up for life while carrying heavy gr...

Anita never thought she’d still be standing seven years after Jason’s death—but here she is. And in a strange twist, it wasn’t grief that almost took her out—it was something else in an adventurous jaunt on New Years Eve. In this episode, Anita and Mel also talk about what they’re choosing to bring into the new year, and what they’re ready to leave behind.  *Check our Patreon for AD FREE Episodes,...

You've heard a bit of of her story in part 1 (Episode 260), and now it's time for the part where Anita and Mel find out what it's like for a medium to experience partner loss. Not only did Michelle experience partner loss - she experienced partner loss via suicide. In this episode, Michelle discusses her journey through grief, how it's affected her mediumship, and the power of...

This episode is the prequel to the most recent happenings in the life of medium, Michelle Clare. Anita and Mel had fun while interviewing Michelle Clare, the woman who fell into mediumship after literally falling off a ladder and surviving three near-death experiences. This episode was originally released as Ep. 95 on Nov. 8, 2021. Stay tuned for next week's episode: part 2 of Michelle’s stor...

Anita and Mel discuss the 2025 holiday season, which of course includes an Austrian Krampus Festival. When you aren't sure what to do when the price of ornaments are sky high, never fear - captain Anita comes to the rescue with a brilliant solution. And, saving the best for last, please enjoy a fan favorite: the  encore of Ten Tips To Survive The Holidays. *Check our Patreon for AD FREE Episo...