Welcome to the first episode of 2025! Join Tina Fornwald as she kicks off the year with a heartfelt message of gratitude and a vision for the future of the Widowhood Real Talk podcast and community. She reflects on the importance of community, connection, and creating a safe space for the bereaved to thrive. Plus, she shares insights from Brené Brown’s book “Rising Strong,” emphasizing the power of vulnerability, self-compassion, and staying true to your own grief journey. Tune in to be inspired and discover how you can become an active part of the Widowhood Real Talk community in 2025! I am sharing my experience of loving the same man for 32 years, a mother to two adult children, a retired military officer, a breast cancer survivor, and my connections with others. Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts should reach out to a suicide hotline or local emergency number in their country: Psychology Today Suicide Hotlines and Prevention Resources Around the World — Watch the episode here   Listen to the podcast here Grateful For You: Widowhood Real Talk Turns 3 This 2025! Welcome To The First Episode Of 2025! Welcome to the first episode of 2025. I have a list because there are no interview questions. I’m having this conversation with you and I wanted to make sure to cover everything. First of all, I want to say thank you for allowing me to hold a safe space for you. We have entered our third year of this conversation and it has been quite the ride. If this is the first day of you grieving the loss of a loved one or maybe several years down the road, I know the conversations that we have in the community that we’ve created will serve you well. My recommended book for 2025 that I am starting to read is called The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD. This is a book that I will be reading in 2025 and making many references to. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll be able to have her as a guest on the show. I want you to know that in 2025, I am creating a vision for the show. I want you to know that we are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. With a corporation and being the founder, I am creating a vision. I like vision boards and pictures. Here, different things are going to be covered. There are a few things that I’ve covered already as far as a vision for widowhood but I want you to know that this is intentional. We have a purpose and I have come to embrace that my purpose is serving the bereaved. Yes, this organization was founded on the passing of my late husband, Mark, but the word widowhood is intentional because the loss not only impacts me as his wife but also my entire hood. I’m from Chicago. For me, the word hood represents family. Mark’s passing has impacted his children, his siblings, our neighbors, our family, our friends, and coworkers. Anyone that Mark was in contact with was impacted when his life left this world, and so was this foundation. This show was developed intentionally to inspire people not just to exist after the passing of their loved one but to learn how to live and create a life that they thrive in. What Is The Widowhood Real Talk Community? Understanding that process may be different for each individual but know we are on this journey with you. I want to thank you for three years of the show being in existence, for knowing that this is a safe space, and for allowing me to encourage you, give you words of hope and inspiration, and have supportive discussions. In 2025, I want to invite you to embrace the full community. If you’ve only been limited to the show, which has been good, I want to let the community exist beyond the show. You say, “What does that look like?” Let me give you a few things. We have our confidential grief Discord. There are people who are reading this content on different podcasts and applications, YouTube, and other different places. What I found is when I’m able to bring everyone together in the community, the ability for people to share, encourage each other, and grow is inspiring. There are people who see content on Instagram and different people who see content on TikTok. When everyone is able to come together and unite in the grief Discord, the conversation is rich. What do we know about people who are grieving? Sometimes we are often awake when the world is asleep. To be able to come together on the grief Discord, ask questions, seek encouragement, and even be able to chat with people one-on-one is very empowering. Another way that you could join me in the community is I go live on TikTok every Monday at 7:00 PM Eastern time. That’s a great opportunity to catch up on what is the topic for the week, engage with other people in the bereaved community, and connect one-on-one. Join Our Grief Support Groups! Another way is we have a private Facebook group. That is another opportunity to connect with other people in widowhood and be able to engage and find support and encouragement. We also host two grief support groups peer-to-peer on the second Thursday of every month. It is a men’s only grief support group that is hosted by Mr. James Price. On the last Thursday of the month, I host a grief support group open to everyone. You may say, “Why did the guys get their own grief support group?” It’s because our men need a safe space to be vulnerable and transparent, to know that their grief matters, and to not have to worry about outside eyes. We intentionally wanted to create a space for our men to be able to share their grief, be encouraged, and be uplifted. The other way in which you