Widow We Do Now?

The internet says Finland is one of the happiest countries in the world , but is it really true? And what if you've sustained a huge loss, perhaps as huge as losing your partner? What about mental health in a geographical area that is dark most of the time during the long winter months? Join Anita and Mel as they talk with Eline Kärki, widowed mom, lover of many cheeses, and all-around great...

How do you continue to honor the memory of your person while still moving forward through life? Anita and Mel share examples from their widowed friends, then discuss holidays for those who have families vs those who are lone wolves. Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going, get ad-free episodes, and more! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some tacos? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wid...

When someone has experienced divorce, infertility, childlessness, and widowhood by the age of 32, they might think their life is over. But not for Rosaline Orwa. Since then, she has been fighting for the rights of widows and orphans through making change in policy and education. She has been  an advocate to stop the abuse of widows in the forms of literacy, education, community, and speaking up ab...

Widow coaching, dating groups, widow finances....many of our fellow widows have businesses that cater to widows. What's your opinion? Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going, get ad-free episodes, and more! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some tacos? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/widowwedonow Need some Snarky Grief merch? http://shop.widowwedonow.com Sponsored by: BetterHelp....

Oh Melissa. WTF. We don't know why your life story is what it is, but the hits just keep on coming. The other thing that keeps on keepin' on is our awe of what you do with each tragedy. Listeners, gear up for part 2 of Melissa's story that none of us knew would happen when we recorded part 1, three years prior (Episode 38). Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going, get ad-free...

Join Anita and Mel as they read submissions from listeners about their paranormal experiences from their deceased partners. Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some tacos? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/widowwedonow Sponsored by: Rock House Financial & the podcast: He's Gone But The Money's Not https://rockhousefinancial.com/podcas...

Kittenfishing, Caspering, Fielding, Cuffing....what?! Play the "guess that term" game with Mel and Anita and learn what in the actual hell is going on with current dating terms. Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some tacos? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/widowwedonow Sponsored by: Rock House Financial & the podcast: He's Gon...

There is a lovely, kind, gem-of-a-human in the world who makes teddy bears from loved one's clothes, and that person is Carrie Pike. Join Anita and Mel as they learn more about her story, process, empathy, and about how that is just the jumping off point of her journey as a healer to the world. Carrie Bears: https://carriebears.com/ Find Carrie's podcast, "Something To Hold Onto&quo...

Widower Jarie Bolander is an introvert, but you wouldn't know it.  Committed to helping others who have experienced partner loss, he is also on a mission to build better men. Jarie talks to Anita and Mel about his struggles with alcohol and grief, his love of espresso, and his book, Ride or Die. Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some ta...

Always a tricky topic, religion can get even more complex after losing a partner to death. Anita and Mel read listener-submitted accounts of how or if their religious beliefs have changed since the time of their person's death. Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some tacos? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/widowwedonow Sponsored by: Rock Hou...

What do you do when your kids are vehemently opposed to you even thinking about dating? What do you do when your kids were so young when their parent died that they ask you for a "new one"? What do you do if you're a parent trying to determine what's best for you and also best for your kids? Does anyone even know anyway? Anita real-time discusses this with Mel as her brain is s...

This episode contains good, bad, and funny stories. Listen at your own risk! Anita and Mel share summer stories, which may or may not include discussions of a tuba. Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some tacos? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/widowwedonow Sponsored by:  BetterHelp.com. Save 10% off the first month of online therapy done securel...

This episode is mind-blowing, in a protein-folding sorta way. Anita and Mel interview the amazing Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor. She is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab, which investigates the effects of grief on the brain and the body. In addition to being on the forefront of research, she's one lov...

"Ewell" love our new friend Abby. From Virginia, this lovely human is in the middle of widowhood and shares the story of her husband's sudden-death-from-blunt-force-trauma with Anita and Mel. Check out Abby's book To check out Abby's book, WTF: Widows That Function, visit any online book store, or click below. http://www.wtf-by-abby.com Abby's IG: @wtfbyabby Help us k...

Meet Kari, a 32-widowed mom of Sloan, the cutest baby of ever who is also a medically complex child. Join Anita and Mel as they get to know more about Kari, and how she is taking it one step at a time after becoming widowed. *Content Warning: this episode contains the topic of suicide, please take care while listening if you are in a vulnerable headspace* Follow Kari and Sloan on IG @kariandsloan...

Anita and Mel delve into the rarely-talked-about-in-public topic of: in-laws. The scope and spectrum of experience among young widows is wide with this one, but is a hot topic. Anita is stoked. Mel is terrified, but copes by wearing cat leggings. This is a replay of Ep. 39 from Oct. 2020 Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some tacos? https://...

*this is a replay from July 4, 2022* Whether you've had a dream about your person, you didn't have a dream about your person, or your person was ignoring/speaking to/interacting with you in the dream, we often seek their meaning. Some of these are distressing, some are comforting, the results run the gamut. Dr. Joshua Black holds a MA and PhD in Psychology. He is a grief researcher, spea...

"I'm sorry. There were no survivors." Nancy Saltzman tried to absorb the caller's words. Her entire family had perished in a small plane crash. The caller was wrong, though. There was a survivor—Nancy would have to go on living. She had beaten cancer twice, but how could even the most resilient spirit live through this ultimate loss? Join Anita and Mel as they get to know this...

On April 16, 2009, Kim Hamer watched her 44-year-old husband take his last breath. During his illness and after his death, she was amazed and humbled by the creative and thoughtful ways their friends, family, and co-workers supported them. Kim started calling these kind actions “acts of love.” At work, she noticed how most managers are ill-prepared to support an employee (and their team) dealing w...

Join Anita and Mel for a discussion on current happenings, reflections about pre-widowhood, and the trajectories they and other widows are on. Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some tacos? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/widowwedonow Sponsored by:  BetterHelp.com. Save 10% off the first month of online therapy done securely, online with our uni...

Tiffany Skelton's story is a lot. Her husband suffered from long-term mental illnesses as they both parented their six children. Tiffany knows what it's like to become a widow from suicide, but that's not where her story ends. After becoming a widow, Tiffany experienced sexual assault as she was trying to date post-loss. Since then, she has learned a lot about herself, grief, and th...

As grievers, we experience different forms of living (think Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for you psychology lovers out there). What does it mean to survive, to thrive, and what is possible? Anita and Mel discuss. Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some tacos? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/widowwedonow Sponsored by:  BetterHelp.com. Save 10...

Audry Henniger is rad. She lives in a forest in a log cabin, works for the greater good  of humanity (aka Dogs!), and is a widow who is taking action to improve available rescue equipment for first responders to help those who get lost or hurt in the backcountry. Audry shares her story of how she lost her husband due to a kayak accident and how she is taking steps to help others as she navigates w...

Everyone, meet Jan. Marathon runner, director, widow of 10 years, and all-around awesome person are some of the things you might find on her resume. Anita and Mel spend time getting to know Jan and learn why it's important to enjoy the blueberries. Check out the writings of Joe Seeley: https://www.joesblasts.com/store/p1/Joe%27s_Blasts_Book.html Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going!...

Should you share your life and widowhood experience publicly? Should you not? Should you make 133 grilled cheese sandwiches and hunker down in a cave and avoid the world? Anita and Mel discuss the ins and outs of sharing grief and widowhood publicy vs being private. Help us keep the Widow We Do Now podcast going! http://www.patreon.com/wwdn Want to buy us some tacos? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/w...