WIDOW SQUAD BLOG
A community-driven resource
Insightful articles, personal stories, and practical advice to help you navigate life after loss. Designed to address the diverse experiences and challenges faced by widows.
Grief, COVID Loss, and New Beginnings: An Interview with Tracy Quinn
I’m happy to share with you the poignant journey of Tracy Quinn, a member of our Widow Squad community, who faced the unimaginable grief of…
Grief in the Workplace: Transforming Bereavement Policies
Jody LaVoie’s life took a sharp turn one day when tragedy struck her family in the most unexpected way—her husband Steve was shot by a…
Managing Grief: 5 Essential Healing Strategies for Widows
I want to talk about some healing strategies for widows because it’s both deeply personal and vitally important for anyone navigating the aftermath of their…
Addressing Loneliness After Loss: Insights for Widows on Their Road to Healing
When you step into the world of widowhood, it feels like peace has packed its bags and left the building. The feelings of loneliness after…
Find Hope in Healing with Susan Hannifin-MacNab’s A to Z Healing Toolbox
It’s difficult to move forward after a profound loss, but following the death of her husband, Susan Hannifin-MacNab transformed her deep pain into a healing…
Coping with Grief: Directing Your Life to Spotlight Joy and Healing
I have an interesting topic to explore with you today; moving grief to a supporting role in your life. Before we talk about this important…
Grief and Self-Compassion: A Widow’s Journey of Rediscovery
When you’re a widow, it’s not often you think of grief and self-compassion in the same sentence. But that’s exactly what guest Elizabeth Rose talked…
Inspirational Book Recommendations for Widows on Grief, Resilience and Healing
We’re back with the second part of our discussion on inspirational book recommendations for widows. You can find the first part here where we talk…
Books for Widows to Navigate Grief and Heavy Emotions
Books can be a lifeline when you’re stumbling down that bumpy, totally unexpected path of widowhood. It’s like, one minute you’re planning your life with…
A Widowed Father: Reflections on Grief and Creativity
I had the incredible opportunity to chat with CJ Infantino about his experience as a widowed father, filmmaker, writer, and mental health advocate. CJ became…
Widowhood Self-Care: Moving Beyond External Judgment
Today’s topic is one that’s close to my heart and, I’m sure, resonates with many of you too. We’re talking about self-care in widowhood and…
Enneagram for Widows: A Unique Self-Awareness Tool
Have you ever heard of the Enneagram? It can be a real game-changer for widows working through grief and finding their footing again. When we…
More Holistic Approaches to Healing for Widows
Welcome to the second part of our chat on holistic approaches to healing for widows. In the first part, Melissa and I explored some off-the-beaten-path…
Holistic Healing for Widows: Reiki, Acupuncture, and Emotional Freedom Technique
It’s safe to say widows are always on the hunt for ways to feel better both physically and mentally when they’re in the depths of…
The Power of Pivoting: Adjusting to New Challenges as a Widow
Embracing new challenges as a widow can be daunting, but it’s also an opportunity for growth and rediscovery. In this episode of the Widow Squad…
How Grief Affects the Body and Mind
In this episode, I explore the profound impact of how grief affects the body and mind and discover strategies to cope with these challenges with…
Holidays and Grief: Strategies to Get Through the Holidays After Your Spouse Dies
As the holiday season approaches, we want to extend our support and understanding to all the widows out there who may be facing this time…
Happy Anniversary Widow Squad! Insights from our first year
Can you believe it? The Widow Squad is celebrating its 1-year anniversary! It’s been an incredible journey filled with growth, support, and deep connections, and…
Parenting through Grief: Insights from Widowed Solo Moms
We can all agree that parenting brings with it emotional struggles, self-doubt, and overwhelming responsibilities. But parenting through grief is on a whole other level….
Financial Tips for Widows: Estate Planning, Prenups, and Managing Money
In this podcast episode, Donna Kendrick, a fellow widow and Certified Financial Planner, shares her go-to financial tips for widows as she explains what the…
Heartfelt Connections: Meeting New Friends as a Grieving Widow
For many widows, the landscape of your social life changes dramatically after your spouse dies. The world becomes this chaotic swirl of pitiful looks, too-quiet…
Using Art to Heal: A Conversation with Linda Shanti McCabe
In this espisode of the Widow Squad Podcast, I talk to special guest, Linda Shanti McCabe, a fellow widow, author, and expressive art therapist who…
From Grief to Adventure: Bucket List Ideas for Widows
Creating a bucket list after loss allows you to explore new experiences and find joy in life again. But what if your grief is so…
Comprehensive Checklist for the Newly Widowed
Have you ever searched online for guidance and resources on topics like death of a spouse checklist or what should a widow do in the…
Life Changes for Widows: Choosing Where to Live After Losing Your Spouse
Widows face difficult decisions when it comes to your living situation after your spouse or life partner dies. These big life changes for widows can…
Resilience and Entrepreneurship with Astarie Dennis
When your spouse dies and grief hits hard it’s tempting to let it take over completely. But that wasn’t how Astarie Dennis thought her life…
Widows Returning to Work: Exploring the Challenges and Benefits
The choice of widows returning to work or not after the loss of a spouse or life partner is a difficult one. From the emotional…
How to Journal: A Widow’s Therapeutic Path to Process Grief
In the midst of grief and the complex emotions that follow, finding a way to express yourself can be a challenge. Explore how to journal…
The Power of Routines for Widows: Encouraging Healing and Growth
Life often throws unexpected challenges our way and establishing a sense of stability can feel like an insurmountable task. This is where the power of…
Mental Health Through Movement: Mindy Lawhorne’s Fitness Journey
I had the pleasure of interviewing the lovely Mindy Lawhorne and uncovering how she’s maintained her mental health using movement throughout her fitness journey. Mindy…
Coping with Grief to Widow Coach: Petra Gordon’s Inspirational Journey
In today’s episode, I’m joined by widow coach Petra Gordon, a motivational speaker, author, fellow widow, and life coach. Petra shares her inspiring journey of…
Exploring Effective Grief Therapy Options for Widows
When you’re searching for a therapist to help you with your grief, it can be challenging to find effective grief therapy options for widows. Where…
From Grief to Growth with Widow Squad Host, Melissa Pierce
I had the privilege of interviewing my good friend and Widow Squad host, Melissa Pierce, who shares her own struggles with understanding and identifying her…
Rediscovering Joy: The Importance of Hobbies for Widows
In this episode of The Widow Squad Podcast, we dive into the importance of hobbies for widows and how different hobbies helped us cope with…
Love, Loss, and Making the Most of Life with Widow Squad Host, Kim Murray
In this episode of The Widow Squad Podcast, I engage in a candid conversation with my fellow widow squad host, Kim Murray. Kim is a…
Practical Techniques for Cultivating Self-Compassion as a Widow
Are you your own worst critic? Well then it’s time to uncover a few practical techniques for cultivating self-compassion as a widow. On this episode…
Finding Gratitude in Your Widowhood Grief
Grief has a way of transforming your life, leaving you shattered and overwhelmed by the pain of loss. It’s almost unimaginable to grasp the concept…
Asking for Help as a Widow
On this episode of Widow Squad, I’m joined by guest Alissa Butterfass. We discuss the lack of support after a spouse’s death, and the importance…
Making Self Care a Priority in Widowhood
Prioritizing self-care while traversing the complex journey of widowhood isn’t easy. But, then again, nothing about widowhood is easy. We often feel guilty taking time…
Cooking for One: A Widow’s Take on Health and Healing
In this podcast episode, I delve into the inspiring story of Marie Scott, a widow who turned her grief into a catalyst for positive change….
Embrace Your Widow DIY Skills with Rob KenneyÂ
Widows must learn how to do lots of new things on their own after their partner dies and most of us turn to YouTube to…
Trusting Your Widow Intution to Make Better Decisions
In the midst of suffering and heartache, you might find it’s incredibly hard trusting your widow intuition. When you’re navigating life’s myriad of choices without…
Breaking All the Rules: Making Big Changes in Widowhood’s First Year
Join us as we explore the liberating concept of embracing individuality, finding healing in unexpected places, and redefining what it means to live fully in…
Keeping Memories Close: The Things Widows Keep After Loss
As part of our experiences as widows navigating life after loss, we talk about the cherished items we held onto that once belonged to our…
Navigating Stupid Remarks While Grieving: Insights from John Polo
We live in a society that doesn’t understand grief and I’m talking all about it with my guest, John Polo. John is a widower, an…
Supporting Grieving Children and Navigating Solo Parenting with Jenny Lisk
In this captivating episode, I welcome Jenny Lisk, an award-winning author and widowed mom, to share her inspiring journey and the invaluable insights she gained…
Michelle Collins Shares Her Experience as a Suicide Loss Survivor
I had the privilege of chatting with Michelle Collins, a widow, author, grief and wellness coach, and yoga therapist. Michelle’s story is one of resilience,…
The Inside Scoop on our Dating Experiences as Widows
Love has a way of finding us when we least expect it. We delve into our personal dating experiences and the remarkable stories of how…
Healing Strategies and How to Handle the Death Anniversary
Whether you call it a Death Anniversary, Angelvesary, or Spirit Day, the approaching date of your loved one’s death anniversary can be an overwhelming experience,…
How to Tackle Home Repairs as a Widow
We love sharing stories of resilience at the Widow Squad. Especially stories of how widows turn their own struggles into a source of hope for…
What Do Most Widows Do with Their Wedding Rings?
Deciding what to do with your wedding ring as a widow is a deeply personal and emotional decision. Many of us grapple with questions like,…
Coping Lessons Learned From Early Widowhood
When you’re newly widowed, it’s hard to believe you’ll ever be able to cope with your profound loss. It helps to hear about how others…
How Grief Affects Your Body: Coping with Emotional Pain
If you didn’t know about somatic pain before you became a widow, you’re probably well-versed now in how grief affects your body physically. We delve…
Dating After Widowhood: Signs and Signals of Emotional Readiness
Widows often look for a specific protocol to follow when thoughts like, am I ready to date again or how long should a widow wait…
How to Handle Third Wheel Thoughts After Your Partner Dies
Do you ever feel like a third wheel or odd person out after losing your partner? We share our personal experiences around the awkwardness of…