Moving Forward: Melissa's Journey as a Widow Through Separation, Addiction, and Healing

Melissa, a solo mom of three young boys, shares her journey of separation, addiction, grief, and healing. Melissa candidly shares her experience of separating from her husband, who struggled with alcohol addiction, and the subsequent grief she navigated following his unexpected death in 2022 while they were still legally married.

Throughout the conversation, Melissa provides insight into the complexities of grieving a spouse from whom she was separated, addressing both the support and challenges she faced. She highlights the importance of therapy, open conversations with her children, and the crucial role of a supportive community.

Key Takeaways: 1. Navigating the grief of separation and unexpected loss. 2. The role of therapy and open communication in the healing process. 3. Importance and benefits of a supportive community. 4. Resources for widows, including therapy, Grief Share, and Safe Families. 5. Encouragement to join Brave Widow membership for support and connection.

00:23 Feeling Stuck
00:59 Benefits of Coaching for Widows
01:55 Introducing Melissa
02:48 Melissa's Widow Journey
04:24 Navigating Grief and Separation
09:19 Honoring a Loved One's Memory
16:38 Conversations with Children About Loss
21:56 Support Systems and Asking for Help
26:56 Overcoming the Challenge of Asking for Help
28:17 The Two-Way Street of Helping and Healing
29:19 The Bigger Picture of Grief
34:33 Keeping Memories Alive
35:58 Balancing Family and Grief
42:02 Words of Encouragement for Widows
43:25 The Importance of Therapy and Support
46:30 Final Thoughts and Resources

Resources

Safe Families: safe-families.org/
(This is available in the US and also in a lot of countries all over the world)

Grief Share: www.griefshare.org/
(This is available all over the US)

Facebook Group: Extremely Young & Widowed: www.facebook.com/share/ENDJbFYEy4eMrtTy/

Facebook Group: Chicagoland Widows and Widowers: www.facebook.com/share/a9uTxwYU1sfYa8Wq/

Facebook Group: Widows of Addiction: Safe Zone: www.facebook.com/share/XDSkThFhC4HK8y7h/

Celebrate Recovery: www.celebraterecovery.com/
(This is available all over the US)

Some Books that were super helpful:

For Young Kids:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400074460/ref=ppx_yo_dt…

Kids Grief Journal:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C7GVXCH/ref=ppx_yo_dt…

For Adults (any painful experience, not just death):
www.amazon.com/gp/product/0718039858/ref=ppx_yo_dt…

Devotional:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400239087/ref=ppx_yo_dt…

1-1 Coaching Support: www.bravewidow.com/coaching-options

Brave Widow Community: www.bravewidow.com/join

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Hey hey, I’m Emily Tanner. I was widowed at age 37, one month shy of our 20 year wedding anniversary. Nathan and I have four beautiful children together, and my world was turned completely upside down when I lost him.

Now, I love my life again! I’m able to experience joy, achieve goals and dreams I thought I’d lost, and rediscover this next version of me.

I did the work.
I invested in coaching for myself.
I learned what I needed to do to move forward and took the steps.
I implemented the tools and strategies that I use for my clients in my coaching program.

This is for you, if:
* You want a faith-based approach to coaching
* You want to move forward after loss, and aren’t sure how
* You want to enjoy life without feeling weighed down by guilt, sadness, or regret
* You want a guide to help navigate this journey to the next version of you
* You want to rediscover who you are

For 1-1 Coaching: www.bravewidow.com/coaching-options

Find and take the next steps to move forward (without “moving on”).

FOLLOW me on SOCIAL:

Twitter | @brave_widow

Instagram | @brave_widow

Facebook | / bravewidow

YouTube | @bravewidow

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