Moving through the unimaginable pain of loss is the beginning of a profound grief transformation and conscious new life. Tina Fornwald sits down with Julie Halbert, a Transformational Soul Coach, Death Doula, and former lawyer, to explore the powerful journey from victimhood to light, discussing her upcoming book, Divine Ashes Ascending. They speak the raw truth about the guttural reality of grief, the importance of building community, and how spiritual practice can move us from mere survival to a state of being and profound peace. Julie also sheds light on the often-overlooked emotional needs of grieving sons and the crucial role of the 504 plan in providing accommodations for children in school. 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   Healing The Shattered Soul: Your Journey Through Grief Transformation with Julie Halbert Oftentimes, the children who have lost the parents, going back to school is not easy, but a 504 plan can help them. This conversation with Julie is going to give you very detailed information on how to execute a 504 plan for your child. At the same time, have you been curious about the term death doula or transformation soul coach? This conversation’s going to give you insight to that too. Julie and I have some things that are very similar to the passing of our husbands that I did not know until this conversation. Let’s get into this discussion now. It’s going to bless your soul.       Julie, welcome to the Widowhood. Thank you for having me, Tina. I’m happy to be here. Redefining Widowhood: Finding Transformation Through Grief Thank you. Happy to be in the widowhood. If you were to like the subtitles that was not shown, what would that look like when you hear the word widowhood the first time? You’re asking me a very big question and I’m glad that we’re starting here. Okay, so I’m with you. I practiced law for 30 years. When Jim died, which was December 6th, 2018, and I’d like to honor his birthday, October 24th. I wanted to honor doing this with you and honor his birthday. Just calling in the energy of his spirit to be with us and just being present in a beautiful way. My first experience with the word widow, I was at literally at the OBGYN and I guess at that point in time, the GYN for myself. I remember seeing it on the form and I started to cry and I was like, “This word does not sit well with me.” It’s very interesting. Jim died at 51 and I was 50 and I just didn’t identify with it. I didn’t identify with the word and the language. As I was preparing for you, I said, “I don’t know how Tina’s going to feel about this.” I really was doing a lot of research into the root of the word, the historical patriarchy, where it came from, the whole idea of being bereft and empty and lost. I really have taken it to a place of transformation. I was playing with a new word. Actually, luminara, and being the whole idea of like yes, we have this deep painful loss and we all are shattered in the space of it in different ways in our grief. It’s so real and it’s so painful. I guess the question is how do we go through it? You said a lot there, and I almost could throw away all my questions here, but I’m just going to pause. My husband Mark was 51 when he passed. I was 50 when Mark passed. Mark passed in 2017. I think as the concept of a death doula, ushering people through their loved ones and then those remaining through this transition process, there is a lot of illumination that happens. Our society, I believe, has made death such a horrible, dark, unwanting instead of welcoming the process of the transition of life that is inevitable. If we go into it afraid and scared, that’s not a good way to go into the next version of our life. I miss Mark dearly. I happen to wear his gym shoes because we wore the same size shoe, but at the same time, I’ve come into a place that I know his life, his journey was over. Mine continues. There’s a difference with that that I think requires someone to a spark of light because we are so alienated from the idea what good could ever come from this. I’m with you 1,000%. I could echo every single word that you said. First off, I just want to honor that we were both 50 and 51. I find that intriguing. I think we should just honor that as a factual truth. They’re always with us. We carry them with us everywhere. It’s like their journey was over and I think they continue with us in our journey. You are doing amazing work with the work you’re doing with widows and others and children and just amazing giving back. For me, I do believe, as a Death Doula, we have this sacred breath at the end of life and that it should be celebrated the same way we celebrate the sacred breath at birth. We do so much around birthdays, but we don’t honor that sacred final breath. Our society avoids and denies it. I’m with you. It’s a problem. It is. Thank you. The work that I do is, one, to normalize the thing that we’ve been doing since the beginning of time. How dare we have been a spouse to someone and they