Healing After Loss

The Wise Widow: Finding Hope, Healing, And Identity After Losing Your Spouse With Yulonda Hill

Widowhood Real Talk with Tina | Yulonda Hill | Healing After Loss

  In this heartfelt episode of Widowhood Real Talk with Dr. Tina, Dr. Tina welcomes Yulonda Hurst Hill—speaker, author, storyteller, life coach, and Director of The Widowed Well. Together, they explore the emotional, spiritual, and practical decisions widows face after loss, how to rediscover identity, and what it means to build a meaningful life while honoring the love that came before. Yulonda shares insights from her digital guide, The Wise Widow: The First 7 Decisions After Loss, along with her passion for helping widows heal through storytelling, faith, and legacy. This conversation offers compassionate encouragement, practical guidance, and hope for anyone navigating grief after the death of a spouse. 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   The Wise Widow: Finding Hope, Healing, And Identity After Losing Your Spouse With Yulonda Hill What happens when purpose slowly creeps in where all you thought you had was pain? What happens when your pain is so intense and someone thinks that they’re giving you comforting words and all they’re doing is adding to your pain? What happens when your grief shows up in church and you’re not sure if this is the place where you can say it out loud, but your pastor notices what’s going on? This conversation is what we’re going to talk about with Yulonda Hill. Let’s get into the discussion now.     Yulonda, welcome to widowhood. Thank you so much. I’m excited to be here. Thank you for having me and asking me. Redefining Your Space After Sudden Loss You are welcome. When you hear, “Welcome to the widowhood,” what’s the ticker tape in the back of your mind? If someone were to look and say, “Welcome to the widowhood,” what’s in there? Hearing, “Welcome to the widowhood,” is a group that you never necessarily wanted to be in. I had this conversation with someone. This is the person. This is the thing on the other side of the room. Initially, it was rough. Welcoming to widowhood says to me, “Welcome to the other side of what was devastating and what was horrible.” It no longer has that meaning and that connotation behind it. I know it’s to help other people who are going through a dark night of the soul as well because we walk that path. You say walk that path. Let’s begin with your story. Who was Yulonda before widowhood? Who is this incredible man that you shared your life with? Unforeseen Love And Surrendering Control I love to have this conversation about this man anytime I get a chance to talk about him. Yulonda was the person who she knew at twelve years old, she didn’t want to be married. She didn’t want children. She wanted to live in New Zealand. The twelve-year-old, in the seventh grade. Mr. Stuart Nelson asked what we wanted to do. I said, “I want to live in New Zealand, and I want to be the first Supreme Court justice at about 27. When I walk in a room, they’ll say, “There she is.” He said, “Really?” That’s how vivid. It sounds like it could have been a detailed plan, but go ahead. That’s what I wanted. When I was a kid, I never did play with Barbie and Ken. I never did play house. I always thought about what was I going to do to make the world know who I was. Getting married was never in the plan. Having children was never in the plan. I never thought about it. When I met James and we started talking about life with a partner. He said, “Marriage can be beautiful if you have the right person.” I was thinking, “Okay.” She’s not me. The more that I talked with him and one day, I realized that I was in love with him. I did not know that God could love me in such a way that he freed me to relax. He freed me to love. I tell people this when I’m teaching on talking to women about submitting to their husbands. I said, “When the Bible talks about husbands and wives, wives submit to your husband and husbands to love your wife like Christ loved the church. You realize that if I can trust Him the way I can trust him, if He frees me up to love him the way I want to love him.” I got married at 35. I was older when I got married and I had bought my house already. I was paying bills already. I was in a corporate job. I was doing well. Things were great, but then this man. It was amazing. I could not imagine waiting so long after I found out what love could be. We finally got married and it was great. I was looking forward to getting up and cooking. The day after the wedding, I said to my friend, “I can’t wait to cook breakfast for him.” She said, “Is that what you’re looking forward to?” I said, “It is.” This man was amazing. He was brilliant. He was very articulate. He was over this program called SARE, or Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education. He was the director of it. He was over thirteen Southeastern states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Out of 100% of his job, he traveled for about 70% and he loved it. He loved working and he loved me. That life we had was beautiful. I never thought that we’d be in this place. We’re trying to hear the love story. I want to hear about this story. It takes so long to

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From Widower to Hope Again: Jack Church on Surviving Grief, Healing After Loss & Finding Love Again

Widowhood Real Talk with Tina | Jack Church | Healing After Loss

  Dr. Tina Fornwald welcomes author and broadcaster Jack Church for an honest conversation about finding healing after loss following the passing of his wife. Jack shares how writing daily letters became the foundation for his book, Year One of Grief, and offers honest insight into navigating sorrow, stepping out of isolation, and opening your heart to new possibilities. Whether you’re newly widowed, years into your grief journey, or supporting someone who has experienced profound loss, this conversation offers compassion, practical encouragement, and hope that healing is possible. They address common misunderstandings about how men grieve, the physical release found in tears, and why taking simple steps outdoors can help rebuild daily life. Together, Dr. Tina and Jack explore faith, resilience, and the courage to embrace a new chapter while honoring the past. 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   From Widower To Hope Again: Jack Church On Surviving Grief, Healing After Loss & Finding Love Again Our conversation is with Jack Church from K-Love. Jack is a widower. Jack has 30 years of experience walking on this journey. What Jack also has is showing us how to hope again, how to walk back into the light, and entertain the possibility of love. Let’s get into this conversation now.     Jack, welcome to the Widowhood. Thank you so much. It’s a pleasure to join you. It really is. For somebody that’s tuning in and they’re going, “Pleasure to join you to the Widowhood,” what would make you say that? What would be the backstory to say that’s welcoming? The backstory. See, the front story was you’re warm and inviting. We’ll stick with the front story. As far as the backstory, I know a lot has happened in your life. Take us back to how the moment in your life shifted in the path that you’re on now. Understanding The Sudden Weight Of Spousal Loss As you know, I lost my first wife of over 30 years. It was October of 2019. For those of us who have experienced loss like that, it’s incomprehensible the amount of grief that you will experience. It was hard. I was working in local television as a TV weather guy in Oregon at the time. I was her full-time caregiver as well for about eight months leading up to her passing. I’m doing that in the day and the evening and doing the weather at night and praying and praying that she’s going to be fine. It didn’t work out that way. I lost her. I’m like, “This hurts way more than I ever thought it could. I will never forget, Tina. I do not know why this popped into my head. She and I used to talk about which one of us would go first. I now realize I would say, “Hopefully I’ll go first. I want you to live a full life.” Now, knowing the pain of the loss, it’s like that’s an unfair statement. It really is because it is so hard. I would never wish that upon anyone to go through this, but for any of us that have been married for any length of time, it’s inevitable. It’s going to happen. I mean, it really is, unless you go down in a plane crash, a car crash, something like that, one of us in a relationship will experience that loss. Thank you for sharing that, Jack. Let’s go back a little bit further. First of all, what is her name? Her name is Pam. What was life like meeting Pam and before her passing? I met her in high school. We went to two different high schools, two different counties. My dad had an industrial supply company. Her dad was a bivocational preacher, but he was also a purchasing agent for a local factory. My dad called on him, and they mentioned that my parents had a son. Reverend Prince, Claude Prince, said, “I’ve got a daughter.” The parents went out to dinner, and they said maybe they should meet. An arranged relationship, basically. The thing is, my parents gave me her number and I waited like six months to ever call her. I was very shy. I was getting ready to be a senior in high school, and I finally called her. Our first date, I still remember. We went to Jackson, Tennessee. We saw the movie Star Wars, and we ate at a restaurant called Skeeter’s. It was magical. She was great. We just had a lot of fun. We laughed a lot. We had fun, and we dated. Roll forward, though. Senior year high school, senior prom night. I’m getting ready to go off to college in Jackson, where we would go on our dates, which is like 40 miles from the town we lived in, which to high school kids, that seems like an eternity. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do. I suggested on our prom night, said, “We probably should break up since I’m going to be going to Jackson.” I know we broke up. What was her response? It’s funny. I could probably cry thinking about it. She was shattered. She was like, “Really?” I went, “Yeah. I’m going to be in Jackson. You do not know where you’re going to be. We probably should do this.” Roll forward, though. The other thing is different. She was a Christian. I was not a practicing Christian at the time. Not really a true believer. I think God had his hand in that as well because sometimes I felt a little pressure because her dad was

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The Five Widows Club: Dr. Tina Fornwald & Deborah Kevin On Grief, Storytelling, And Healing After Loss

Widowhood Real Talk with Tina | Dr. Tina Fornwald & Deborah Kevin | Healing After Loss

  Dive into a powerful conversation about grief, storytelling, and healing after loss with Highlander Press founder Deborah Kevin. We unpack the deeply personal journey of writing the novel The Five Widows Club and the profound impact of sharing your truth. Whether you are facing a widower’s grief or seeking advice on starting life over, Deborah illuminates how embracing your voice and finding community is essential for healing after loss and finding joy amidst sorrow. Learn the secrets to author success and why the act of writing your story can be the most healing experience you ever have. 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   The Five Widows Club: Dr. Tina Fornwald & Deborah Kevin On Grief, Storytelling, And Healing After Loss Introduction Of Deborah Kevin And The Five Widows Club Welcome, Widowhood. This episode is incredibly special to me because this conversation is not just about a book. It’s about the person who helped guide me through this journey of bringing The Five Widows Club to the world. Our guest is Deborah Keven, the founder of Highlander Press, a bestselling author of Shelf Life: A Field Guide to Long-Term Author Success, a speaker, an editor, a storyteller, and someone who has become a meaningful part of my publishing journey. Deborah has dedicated her work to helping authors move beyond fear, own their voices, and understand that their story matters. Because Deborah probably knows The Five Woodles Club almost as deeply as anyone else besides me, she was the right person to have this conversation. I’ll begin interviewing Deborah, and then we’re going to flip it, and she’s going to interview me. Let’s get into this conversation now because we’re talking about The Five Widows Club. The book is released, and this conversation is for you.     Mrs. Kevin, welcome to the Widowhood. Thank you for having me, Dr. Tina. I know. When you hear “Welcome to the Widowhood,” what comes to mind for you? If the ticker tape was in the back of your mind? It is interesting. I would think my life has changed dramatically and at this point unexpectedly, and I would think this is a group of women who only they would really understand what I am going through. I love that you keyed into the woman part because I will just let you share your passion for working with women and what that means to you. I love men. I have a wonderful husband whom I would be devastated to lose, and I realized that we are in a time and space in our evolution as human beings where women really get to own their voices. It is so important that we recognize that our stories matter, that each of our lived experiences really is a foundation for families, country, and world development. I heard someone say once, and I honestly cannot remember who it was, that we do not need a seat at the table. We get to build our own table. I love that energy. That is really one of the reasons that I just feel really strongly about elevating women’s voices. Thank you for helping me elevate mine. If I have it correctly, you have a term that you use for people. Stop being waiters and start being writers. What do you think holds most people up from transitioning from being a waiter to a writer? Honestly, I think it is something that Brené Brown calls art scars. I think somewhere along the line, people feel judged about their writing because what I hear the most is, “I would love to write a book someday, but I’m not a writer.” What I want everyone to understand is that the act of writing is what makes one a writer. The act of physically putting pen to paper, fingers on the keyboard, you are a writer. We are all writers. It is a skill that can always be improved by practice. You say that with such elegance, but there is a lot of education and a lot of experience behind you to be here and say something so simple like that. Share with us your road to becoming this Highlander Press, and where you are with things, and your purpose behind that. I will give you the abbreviated version. I did life a little bit differently. I was emancipated at sixteen. I worked for eight years before I could afford to go to college. I put myself through college while working full-time. I did not graduate from my undergraduate degree until I was 30. Actually, it worked out perfectly for me because I was the oldest person in the school. I also had lived experience that others did not. That made me a pretty cool resource, and I had a different perspective. I went and got a degree, the first person in my family to go to college, in accounting. I was a CPA. I worked for a couple of the Big Six, now the Big Four accounting firms, as an auditor. People always came to me to edit what they were working on. “Can you make this email sound better? Can you edit my report? Would you write the company newsletter? Would you help my presentation sound better?” I was editing all along, but I did not have enough confidence to know that I could pursue a literary life. Flash forward, I had worked for 30 years. I have a young son who is diagnosed with autism, and I have taken a leave of absence. I swear that leave of absence actually saved my life. I

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A Widower’s Guide To Grief And Recovery With Herb Knoll

Widowhood Real Talk with Tina | Herb Knoll | Grief And Recovery

  Losing a spouse is devastating, but for widowers, the journey through grief often feels isolated and uncharted. Are you a widower searching for a roadmap? Wondering how to navigate the overwhelming emotional and practical challenges, especially during the holidays? In this exclusive conversation, we sit down with Herb Knoll, a widower, author, and founder of the Widowers Support Network, who spent seven years researching and developing the definitive guide for men coping with loss. Herb cuts through the silence and shares: A FREE 15-Step Action Plan to manage grief and recovery. The critical reasons why men need their own space to heal. Essential advice on health, dating, and avoiding common pitfalls after loss. Insights from his acclaimed book, “The Widower’s Journey,” and his international support network of over 3,000 men. Stop feeling lost. This conversation offers practical steps, a powerful community, and the encouragement you need to move forward. Tune in now to get your action plan and start your journey toward healing. 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     A Widower’s Guide To Grief And Recovery With Herb Knoll The Voices Of Widowhood What if you could have fifteen steps on how to deal with grief for widowers? What if widowers had an action plan on how to manage their grief? This conversation with Herb is going to provide you exactly that. Herb is willing to share this with you for free. Herb is a widower. He knows how hard this journey is. In fact, he’s going to share a book that he’s written about the widower’s journey that he invested seven years of research into. There are more details. I want you to hear it all. Let’s get into this conversation now.       Herb, welcome to the Widowhood. Thank you and congratulations on your many successes. Thank you. When you think of Welcome to the Widowhood, what are your thoughts come to mind? I like encouraging men who need it, and your work is very good and goes in that direction. I’m happy to participate and contribute in any way I can. Thank you so much. I especially want to thank you for participating in this holiday mini-series, Voices of Widowhood Healing Through the Holidays. I am especially glad that we can have this conversation focusing more on our widowers and giving them a conversation about them. As we go into this conversation, can you share what brought you into this work of serving men in widowers? Impetus For Serving Widowed Men The year was 2008. My wife passed away after surviving pancreatic cancer for 39 months. She was 52 years old. I was a banker living in San Antonio, Texas. One of my staff members came up to me, a young girl, and she said, “The entire floor misses your laughter.” I realized for the first time that I wasn’t in very good shape. I decided to seek help. I went to my church, and I went to the VA because I’m a disabled veteran. I went to Barnes and Noble, and I walked into Barnes and Noble, and I asked the young man behind the counter, “What do you have for a new widower?” He looked on his search engine, and then he looked up at me, and he said, “Mr., I don’t have a thing for you.” We went to the bookcase just to be sure that there was not a title that was there that he missed. We found fifteen books, each of them written for widows and not one written for men. I knew before I left the Barnes and Noble store that I was about to quit my job. After 38 years in banking and having a very high post, I walked away from it, and I rededicated my life to helping widowed men. What I needed to do was I didn’t know anything about widowed men. I’m a new one myself. I found 40 widowed men, and I asked them for permission to track their lives. I did so for seven years. Most books are written for the immediate impact of becoming a widow, but I wanted to know both the long-term and short-term impact. That’s why I went seven years, and my volunteer men used to tease me, saying, “Are you ever going to publish this book?” I published it, and it was released in 2017, and it’s still a hot book on Amazon.com. What is your book called? What is the title? The Widower’s Journey. Literally seven seven-year journey, for real. Creating The Widower Support Network & Men-Only Space You see the pictures of the 40 men in here and their volunteer contributions. It’s the best thing that I’ve ever done. That’s what I claim. After that, I created the Widowers Support Network, which is a website and also a Facebook page. The Facebook page is only for men. Say it again. It’s only for whom? For men, not women. I don’t let women on it. I created one Facebook page, and all I was getting were women. I had to create a second one. This time I started screening everybody whom I admitted to it. It has about 3000 men living in 44 countries. It’s a terrific resource for widowed men. They’re of all ages. They’re even in their twenties, some men who were widowed, where the wife may have lost a baby and died in childbirth. One woman died in a motorcycle accident. One woman was murdered. There are all the different circumstances. There, when men realize that they’re not being listened to by women, they will open up.

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From Heartbreak to Healing: Life After Loss With AJ Coleman

  What does it really mean to move forward—not just move on—after unimaginable loss?” In this heartfelt continuation of last week’s episode, AJ Coleman returns to The Widowhood to open up about his journey as a single father after the devastating loss of his wife, Cory. With rare vulnerability, he shares the quiet strength it took to raise his daughter alone, the moment he found his voice, and the surprising way writing a book helped him heal. We talk about grief, growth, and the pressure to find purpose too soon. If you’ve ever questioned how to start again, this episode reminds us: healing isn’t linear—and you don’t have to rush your way through it. Let’s dive in. 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   From Heartbreak to Healing: Life After Loss With AJ Coleman Our guest for part two is AJ. We are talking about his journey of being a single parent, how to determine the right time for dating, and his concept between moving forward and moving on, and a book he’s written. Let’s get into this conversation now.         AJ, welcome to the show. I should say, welcome back to the show. Yes, great to be back, and thank you for this wonderful opportunity. Thank you. The conversation we had. They’ll listen to it, but they understood like all the knowledge you had from the catfish and everything else. This conversation is focused on your journey, which has made what you do and how you show up so passionate. Thank you for taking the time twice to get together and have this conversation. I want to start with something we were talking about a little bit in the pre-conversation. I want to just say thank you for bringing your voice to this conversation because I believe, and tell me your thoughts, it’s really hard for men to make themselves vulnerable and just transparent and share something as personal as this. What are your thoughts on that? The Challenge Of Opening Up About Grief & Loss I agree. At the time, it’s very rare when I first started speaking about my grief loss and being a widower at such a young age, with my wife’s passing, the brain cancer, and raising my daughter as a single dad. Many people just didn’t talk about it, especially men, because we have that idea that we’re supposed to be macho, we’re supposed to have all the answers, we’re supposed to have these even-toned feelings. We learned over time. Perception changes that the social media with the amount of resources becoming available where men, like myself, that find it’s okay to talk about the feeling, it’s okay to talk about the losses and join different groups of people to help each other through these tough times. Back when my father was little, this was never a discussion point. It was not even a thought. It just became part of society. That generation as they continue to mature and eventually into the adulthood is they would carry that same notion that we don’t talk about anything. It’s not proper. Today, I think it’s healthy. I think it’s a very important attribute that everybody talks about the feelings. Right or wrong, different or not, it’s important because that’s how you heal, especially during a grief loss. That rings so true to me. My question is, how did you go from the mindset that you were raised under to that first time that you started talking about this? What was that pivotal point? What did that look like for you, starting to articulate this? At the time of my wife’s passing, I did not know that I was pretty much preparing my whole life to handle different grief losses. Only it wasn’t a grief loss of a loved one. It could be a loss of companionship, could be a loss of an ability. It could be a loss of just having anxiety or something like that. How I prepare is just internally, is that sometimes you don’t know what you’re made of until the unthinkable happens. That’s where you start building up that self-esteem, that confidence. Sometimes you just throw everything out the window and say, “I need to talk about this.” As I continued on my journey to self-healing, I realized it’s not necessarily about me anymore. It’s about helping others overcome and cope, and eventually take steps forward within their lives so they can influence others. When we go through these types of unthinkable losses, there’s just something alive that comes in within you. I think a lot of that’s just personality-driven experience, but also being comfortable in who you are and where you want to go with it. Thank you for sharing that, and your wife’s name if you don’t mind us honoring her. Sure. My wife’s name is Cory. Have you always been comfortable with who AJ is? No. I had lived a very sheltered life about who I was. In a sense, I had grown up with a loss of an ability, which is a hearing impairment, not understanding how it would impact me not only as a child, but as a young adult in the workforce, and who I am. I chose to keep my entire life private. One of the things Cory taught me over time was that nobody cares. Nobody thinks that we are our own worst credit of ourselves. We get it into our mindset that everybody’s talking about it. Have you ever go to a room and you walk in and people are engaged in conversation, and

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Finding Strength In Widowhood: 14 Lessons On Healing & Hope

Widowhood Real Talk with Tina | Widowhood Journey

  Grief can feel isolating, but the truth is, you’re not alone. In this episode, Tina Fornwald shares her widowhood journey, opening up about the 14 lessons she learned across struggles and surprising moments of healing after loss. From the power of community to embracing new purpose, Tina explores the realities of life after losing a spouse. She reflects on the emotions, memories, and unexpected challenges, offering heartfelt insights for those walking a similar path. Whether you’re grieving, supporting a loved one, or searching for hope, this conversation provides comfort and understanding. 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   Finding Strength In Widowhood: 14 Lessons On Healing & Hope This is a conversation that I’m having with you. Many of you have asked me what are some things that I have learned along this journey of widowhood. I have a list right here and I’ll go over them one by one. Also, please email me at WidowhoodRealTalk@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you. I would love to hear the things that you have learned on this widow’s journey or your grief journey in particular. If you’re supporting someone who is grieving, please share the things that you have learned about them, because it will be able to help others. #1: I Am Not Alone Number one, I am not alone. The thing about this grief journey is the head chatter, the things that will come into your head that, “No one else could be in this much pain. No one else could have this much suffering. No one else could be living this difficult life.” That is not true. I learned I was not alone. I learned that there are thousands more widows and widowers daily. #2: Community Knowing that wasn’t a trauma bonding type of situation, but it told me, “Tina, you are not the first person to endure this nor will you be the last,” which means it is something that I can live through, move forward, and I will at one point in time be okay. When I learned that, it changed my mindset from, “I don’t know if I can do this. This will never work out,” to, “Though it is painful, I have the capacity inside of me to be able to keep living.” It was important for me to know I was not alone. That circled into the idea of how powerful number two is, which is community. When I realized I was not alone, I reached out to every widow and widower that I knew. I made time to be in their presence, whether it was in person or on the phone. I had so many questions and they were so willing to answer. That community created for me was so important. It gave me the ability to be able to keep living, to know that I was not alone, and that other people would encourage me. They would share their journey with me. They would let me know that this is something that they experienced. They shared their version of it. It allowed me to take their pieces of this journey and create my own. #3: Memories, Good & Bad Number three, memories are good and memories are bad. What that looked like for me is I had to take my time when I wanted to see the memories. Sometimes, it was all at once, and then it was that I didn’t want to see them at all. I had to be honest with myself about what that looked like. I remember one time when I was looking at pictures of Mark and listening to voice messages in particular because hearing his voice made it feel so good.     I fell asleep with my phone in hand. When I woke up, all the messages were gone. I was devastated. I went to the phone store, standing there crying profusely and unhinged. I feel so sorry for whoever was at that Verizon store and had to help me that day. I probably left them shaken, but I was devastated. There was nothing they could do to get those phone messages back, and that was bad. I reached out to my children and I asked them to share with me the messages that they had with their dad’s voice and they sent them to me. It is a precious thing to have. I encourage you, if possible, to please take the pictures. Please create the memories. Please cement them with audio and videos because one day, you won’t be able to. The good part is there are tons of pictures of Mark and tons of memories with him and the children that I will cherish as long as I can breathe. #4: Music And Smells Number four, music and smells. I remember the songs that we danced to and the songs that Mark played. Mark was a hard-rock kind of guy. I learned the Eagles and so much music that I never thought of before by being with him and being married to him. I remember the smell of chili. Mark used to make chili from scratch at home. He’d have a big pot in putting it together. When I’m having chili and rice, I think of him. The smell of a bonfire, because our family had a bonfire every year, and the smell of wood burning brings back so many memories of him. Also, his cologne. He wore a gray flannel. When he passed away and I was moving from Pennsylvania to Virginia, I packed up so much stuff. Some things I got rid of,

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The Journey Of Healing: Moving Through Grief With Addie Green

Widowhood Real Talk with Tina | Addie Green | Moving Through Grief

  Moving through grief is like navigating a winding path, filled with unexpected twists and turns, but ultimately leading to a sense of peace and healing. In this poignant episode, Addie Green unravels her remarkable journey of moving through grief. From the emotional struggle of losing loved ones to the serendipity of new beginnings, Addie’s tale is a testament to the power of love and the indomitable human spirit. Join us as Addie shares her path to healing and the inspiring moments that transformed her life, proving that even from the deepest despair, love can rise and lead us to unexpected joy. Check out these links to Addie’s books: BLOOM JOURNAL FOR WIDOWS: https://a.co/d/00b7LU1F MOVING through GRIEF JOURNAL: https://a.co/d/0gh9nDWx SMART GIRL MANIFESTING BOOK: https://a.co/d/05QWR9ap 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: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/suicide/suicide-prevention-hotlines-resources-worldwide — Watch the episode here   Listen to the podcast here   The Journey Of Healing: Moving Through Grief With Addie Green Introduction Addie, welcome to the widowhood. When you hear that, what do you think? What came across your mind?  It’s almost like, “How did I get here? I’m in a widowhood.”  I don’t know what, but widowhood to me means family and connection. Some people, they’re not accustomed to that word. I could see the meaning of that, but it’s widowhood. How did we get here? That is amazing. The type of hood that we’re in.  I’m going to read your bio so the audience can learn more about you before we get into this conversation. Yes, I am on the reading glasses team now. Addie Green is a sensual movement educator and instructor with over thirteen years of experience helping women reconnect with their sensuality, feminine energy, and confidence through movement and breath. As a holistic wellness advocate, Addie is passionate about empowering women to embrace their true self and lead fulfilling lives.     Throughout her career, Addie has hosted and facilitated numerous movement workshops and vision board parties, providing women with powerful tools to create their best bodies and lives. She also creates beautiful handmade waistbands, which serve as a tangible reminder for women to stay connected to their bodies, goals, and intentions. In 2022, Addie faced a major personal loss when she became a widow. She has since aimed to transform her pain into a source of passion and purpose. She is openly sharing her grief story and offering valuable insight into grief and healing through online platforms. Addie has also authored two journals designated to help grieving people express their feelings and find solace by transforming their emotions from head and heart to paper, as well as a vision board experience work.  You can find her on social media, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and there’ll be links where you can purchase her journals and her book, I believe right on Amazon. I will give the clean confession that Addie is someone that I found on TikTok and reached out to her. I believe that was from a post that you had on your one-year mark of the passing of your husband, if I recall correctly. We were approaching one year, and it was around, and we were coming into the Thanksgiving holiday.  What is your husband’s name?  Shavondai. Everybody knows him as Sean. A Story Of Love How did you and Sean meet?  My cousin, who ironically enough was widowed four months before me. He was a flight attendant at the time, and she was flying into my city. She calls me and she says, “I think I’m here.” They were at a reserve Air Force base. This base is non-operational. I actually didn’t even know that people flew into that base. It was so weird. I was I said, “You’re right down the street.”  From somebody in the military, that’s not weird. That’s how we want to keep it.  Commercial flight, though? I guess it was the layover before they went somewhere else, but they came in. She was going to stay overnight. They were going to head out the next day. I’m like, “I’m here.” She would like, “Come to the hotel.” I take the girls. My two daughters at the time were young and we go and we meet her. We had a fun time. I took the kids home the next day and then she’s like, “I want to get some lunch.” I was like, “Where do you want to go?” “Wherever you want to go?” She starts naming off all these places. We decided on a place. At the very last minute, she changes her mind. She says, “Wait a minute, you guys have a Chili’s because I have a coupon.” I’m like, “There’s literally one. It’s right across the street.” She goes, “Let’s go there.” I’m like, “No problem.” We go to Chili’s. We sit down at table 10 and we are waiting for our server to come over and over comes this young man. He asks us for our drink orders. He was polite, he had a nice smile, and he was working on his thing.  He knew how to work tables for tips. Put it that way. She tells me, “He’s cute.” She’s like, “What about him?” I’m thinking, “What about him for what?” like always trying to set somebody up. I was like, “What about him? No, thank you.” She goes, “I’m going to talk to him for you.” I’m like, “Please don’t.” I get so embarrassed by that stuff. The whole time now, I’m on edge for the rest of the lunch because I’m wondering at what point she is going to put me on blast.  Sometime toward the end of our meal, he brings the check over and then she goes, “By the way, are you

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Widowhood Secret Santa Program Application

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Bringing Joy & Support to Widowed Families

This application is open to all widows and widowers with children between the ages of newborn to 18 years old. Special needs children over the Age of 18 are also eligible.

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  • All gifts will be handled through your Amazon Wish List link.
  • A completed consent form must be submitted for consideration with this application.
  • Nominations will be announced on September 1st.

Walk For Love 2025

Support grief awareness and Walk For Love in style. Proceeds help fund free grief support programs. Merchandise is available now, with new batches printing every 15 days — so order early to ensure you receive your items before the August kickoff on August 3,  2025

🛍️ How It Works

- Order anytime — Bonfire prints new merchandise every 15 days

- First shipping window: Orders placed by July 11 ship between July 1–11

- All items ship directly from Bonfire

- Order early to wear your gear for Walk For Love in August!

👕 Apparel – T-Shirts, Sweatshirts & Hoodies

🛒 Order here: https://www.bonfire.com/walk-for-love-2025-1

💲 Price: $23–$42

📏 Sizes: Youth to 3XL

Over 20 different colors

📝 Notebook

🛒 Order here: https://bonfire.com/walk-for-love-2025-notebook-1

💲 Price: $22.99

Great for journaling, writing affirmations, or gift-giving.

☕ Mug

🛒 Order here: https://bonfire.com/walk-for-love-2025-mug

💲 Price: $19.99

Sip your morning coffee with a message of love and remembrance.

🚶‍♀️ Travel Mug

🛒 Order here: https://bonfire.com/walk-for-love-2025-travel-mug-1

💲 Price: $24.99

Keep your drinks hot or cold while walking for love.

💧 Water Bottle

🛒 Order here: https://bonfire.com/walk-for-love-2025-water-bottle-2

💲 Price: $29.99

Hydration meets heart — perfect for walkers everywhere.

📣 Additional Notes

At checkout, encourage shoppers to select your board member's name from the referral dropdown to help us track outreach.

Use and promote hashtags: #WFL2025 and #WRTWT

Perfect for walking during the event or repping all year long.

Mental Health Walkathon to provide encouragement and inspiration for the grieving struggling with depression and isolation.

During the Walkathon, we walk together, united in our mission to support mental health. From August 3 - 9, 2025 we encourage you to walk one mile daily. Share your journey by posting a picture on your favorite social media platform with #WRTWT #WALKFORLOVE, and let’s inspire others to join us.

Funds from the Walkathon will allow Widowhood Real Talk With Tina to conduct an Annual Grief Garden and a Butterfly release ceremony and provide participants journals & pens.

Three ways to participate

Purchase merchandise ~ In Development

Donate: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/walkforlov

Make your pledge, 1-mile daily day August 4 – 10, and post #WRTWT #WALKFORLOVE: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/walkforlov

To Start your pledge team, email widowhoodrealtalk@gmail.com for details.

Register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1223004923649?aff=oddtdtcreator