Today is International Widows’ Day, and in this deeply personal episode of The Grief Lounge, I am sharing the real truth about widowhood, grief and life after losing your husband.

What is it really like to become a widow?

What does grief feel like after losing your life partner?

How do you keep going when your whole world has changed?

In this episode I share my lived experience of losing my husband, from holding his hand as he took his final breath, telling our children their dad had died, planning a funeral in shock, navigating relentless death admin, solo parenting grieving children, financial pressure, loneliness, and the reality of carrying grief every single day.

I also speak openly about friendship loss, how people disappear after bereavement, why people stop saying their name, and what widows need most from the people around them.

This episode is for widows, widowers, grieving partners and anyone supporting somebody through the loss of a spouse.

Inside this episode we explore:

• widowhood and grief
• losing your husband
• life after losing a partner
• how to support a widow
• parenting grieving children
• death admin after loss
• loneliness after bereavement
• friendship loss in grief
• financial struggles after losing a spouse
• keeping memories alive after death
• how grief changes you forever

Widowhood is not just losing your person. It is losing your future, your witness, your safety and the life you thought you would live.

If you are grieving the loss of your husband, wife or partner, or supporting somebody who is, this conversation will help you feel less alone and better understood.

If you would like to join The Grief Lounge Community here is the link ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/⁠⁠⁠

Find me over on instagram @the_grief_coach_uk

Website:- www.thegriefcoachuk.com

In this episode of The Grief Lounge, I’m joined by author Sacha Hughes for a conversation about mother loss, grief, healing and the ways bereavement can shape our lives long after someone dies.

Sacha lost her mum to cancer when she was just 24 years old and in this conversation she speaks so openly about what happened afterwards. The grief, the self-sabotage, the drinking, the partying, searching for love, trying to outrun the pain and eventually finding herself again.

We speak about grief after losing a parent, the impact bereavement has on your mental health, identity loss, relationships, motherhood, spirituality and learning how to live alongside grief rather than fighting against it.

Sacha also shares the story behind her novel Love, Grief and More Sex Than Pinot, inspired by her own experiences of grief, healing and self-discovery.

Although the book has humour, chaos and funny moments running through it, underneath it I could really feel the loneliness of grief and the ways we sometimes try to distract ourselves from pain we don’t yet know how to carry.

For me, the character feels lost in so many ways. Trying to outrun grief, trying to fill the emptiness, trying to find herself again in a world that no longer feels the same.

Because grief is messy. It changes you. It cracks you open and leaves you trying to rebuild around the missing pieces.

This episode will resonate if you have experienced:

• mother loss
• grief after losing a parent
• cancer bereavement
• emotional trauma after loss
• self-sabotage and grief
• grief and alcohol
• loneliness after loss
• healing after bereavement
• identity loss after grief
• complicated grief
• mental health struggles after loss

As always on The Grief Lounge, this is an honest conversation about grief, love, loss and the reality of trying to rebuild your life after losing someone you love.

Guest: Sacha Hughes
Book: Love, Grief and More Sex Than Pinot

If you would like to connect with Sacha you can find her website here:- www.sachahughes.com

instagram https://www.instagram.com/sachahughes/

facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SachaHughesAuthor?locale=en_GB

link to purchase Love, Grief and More Sex Than Pinot https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=love+grief+and+more+sex+than+pinot&crid=32NTM2G31DTL4&sprefix=love+grief+%2Caps%2C128&ref=nb_sb_ss_mvt-t11-ranker_1_11

You can find me - Sadie over on my website www.thegriefcoachuk.com

or connect via instagram @the_grief_coach_uk

If you would like to join The Grief Lounge Community over on facebook click the link here https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Grief Lounge, I am joined by Sara Rian, a grief poet, self published author, licensed therapist, mother, wife and griever.

Sara began writing grief poetry after the death of her mum in 2018. Her mum died by suicide, and in this conversation Sara shares so openly about that loss, the trauma around it, and the deep love and connection she had with her mum.

I first came across Sara’s words on Instagram, and they were one of those accounts that just stopped me. The kind of words that feel so deeply relatable they almost feel like home.

We talk about mother loss, suicide grief, attachment, trauma, and what it means to grieve someone you loved deeply, and the kind of love that holds both the beauty and the hard parts.

Sara shares how writing became a way for her to put words to something that felt impossible to hold. Her poems have reached so many people in the grief community because they say the things many of us feel but cannot always explain.

We also talk about the grief community online, why it can feel easier to be understood by strangers, and how creativity can give grief somewhere to land.

Sara also shares the work she is doing around grief poetry workshops, creating spaces where people can write, share and feel seen in their grief.

This conversation is raw, warm and honest. It is about grief, but also about love, connection, community and the words that help us feel less alone.

If you have experienced mother loss, suicide loss, complicated grief, or have ever found comfort in poetry after loss, this episode is for you.

If you would like to read the poem that Sara read in the episode click the link here:-

https://www.instagram.com/p/DVROaG6jvX-/?igsh=dW93aXg3ZG44YmRs

You can find Sara via her website www.sararianbooks.com on her facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/sararianbooks/) over on Substack https://sararianbooks.substack.com/ or on Instagram @sara_rian_books

You can join the waitlist for the next Poetry workshops here:-https://thememorycircle.com/#waitlist

If you would like to join The Grief Lounge community page please join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

If you would like to make contact with me you can do so through my website www.thegriefcoachuk.com or via Instragram @the_grief_coach_uk

This week’s episode of The Grief Lounge is a deeply personal one.

Today would have been Chris’s 55th birthday, and this is my third birthday without him.

I felt called to record this episode to share what it really feels like to navigate grief on birthdays and special days. The build-up, the decisions, and the reality of trying to honour someone you love while also holding your own needs and the needs of your children.

I talk about the time my son and I spent remembering Chris, the moments that felt beautiful, and the ones that completely broke my heart.

There were also moments that felt like connection. I asked for a sign the night before, and on the journey to the coast, two of the songs from Chris’s funeral played on the radio. Moments like that are hard to explain, but they stay with you.

This episode also holds something very special. On Chris’s birthday, I received my copy of The Feminine Arts, the book I have co-authored. Reading my chapter, where I write about Chris, our story and the life we built together, on his birthday felt deeply emotional and significant. More than coincidence, it felt like connection.

This episode speaks to anyone grieving a partner, navigating birthdays and anniversaries after loss, or trying to make sense of the signs, love and connection that can continue after someone has died.

It is about grief, love, memory, and the reality of living a life you never expected to be living.

If you would like to purchase The Feminine Arts book to read the chapter here is the link ⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GWWTX1DF⁠⁠⁠ I hope you enjoy it.

Please know you do not have to walk through grief alone. Join The Grief Lounge Community on facebook, a closed group for those navigating the loss of their loved one.⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/⁠⁠⁠

My website ⁠⁠⁠www.thegriefcoachuk.com⁠⁠⁠

My Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@the_grief_lounge_uk⁠⁠

In this episode of The Grief Lounge, I’m joined by Jack Waddington. Jack is an author, having written his first book after the loss of his brother Sam. I'm on a journey to see you Sam . . Jack is also an artist, who illustrated the cover for the book, and a secondary school teacher. In this episode Jack and I have a deeply honest conversation about sibling grief, loss and the lifelong bond between brothers.

Jack shares the story of his brother Sam, who lived with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and died at the age of 26.

We talk about what it was like growing up alongside Sam, the role Jack played as a sibling and carer, and how Duchenne shaped not just Sam’s life, but the whole family’s.

This is a conversation about love, responsibility and the kind of connection that does not end with death.

Jack speaks openly about the shock of losing his brother, the guilt that can come with sibling loss, and the reality of navigating grief as a young man.

We also talk about men’s mental health and the importance of creating space for honest conversations around grief, vulnerability and emotion.

Writing became a way for Jack to process his loss and stay connected to Sam. His book, I’m on a Journey to See You Sam, is both a tribute to his brother and a way of raising awareness about Duchenne muscular dystrophy, disability and the experience of sibling grief.

If you have experienced the loss of a sibling, are supporting someone who has, or want to better understand the impact of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, this conversation offers honesty, insight and connection.

More about Jack.

Jack is a London-based writer, practising artist, and art teacher. His debut memoir, I’m on a Journey to See You, Sam, began as diary entries written in the days and months after the death of his younger brother, who lived with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He was also selected for the Local Author Showcase at the 2026 Ealing Book Festival.

Alongside writing, Jack creates drawings and paintings, and designed the book’s cover artwork himself. He lives in London with his wife. Jack continues to write, teach art, and explore ways to work with keeping his relationship with Sam very much connected.

You can follow and connect with Jack on Instagram @jackwaddington_

You can purchase I'm on a journey to see you Sam from Amazon here https://amzn.eu/d/0eadhISA

If you would like to join our Facebook Community page where you will be joined by other navigating grief here is the link

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

My website is www.thegriefloungeuk.com and my instagram account is @the_grief_coach_uk

Thank you so much for listening to this episode. Please share the link for the podcast to anyone you may feel would benefit.

You do not have to navigate the path of grief alone.

In this episode I talk about the loss of a life partner and something I came across recently called the widowhood effect.

When I read about it, it didn’t just make sense in my head, I felt it. It helped me understand why this kind of loss can feel so overwhelming and so all consuming.

The widowhood effect is a term used in research that shows how losing a partner can impact not just how we feel, but our physical health, our sense of safety, our identity and our whole life.

In this episode I share some of that research, but also what it actually looks like in real life.

Because losing a partner is not just losing a person. It is losing the life you built together. The routines, the roles, the shared responsibility, the future you thought you were walking into.

I talk about the emotional impact, the physical toll grief can take on the body, the financial pressure that often comes with this loss, and the reality of becoming a solo parent while grieving.

Supporting children through their grief whilst carrying your own is something that is hard to put into words, but I try to here.

This episode is not about comparing grief.

It is about understanding why this loss can feel so different, and why it can touch every part of your life.

If you have lost a partner and have found yourself questioning why this feels so overwhelming, I hope this helps you feel seen.

If you are here to understand someone in your life, I hope this helps you understand what they may be carrying.

If you know someone else who may benefit from listening to this episode please feel free to share.

Also it really makes a huge difference if you follow this podcast and review it. Thank you.

If you would like to join the Grief Lounge Community on Facebook here is the link https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

You can connect with me via my website www.thegriefcoachuk.com or on instagram @the_grief_coach_uk

This week I’m talking about the moon… and I know this is a grief podcast, so stay with me.

After watching the Artemis mission, something really landed for me about grief, love and the ways we stay connected to the people we’ve lost.

I’ve always been drawn to the moon. It became a place I turned to when Chris was ill and even more so after he died. I’ve sat under it, talked to it, cried under it and found comfort in its constancy when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

In this episode, I share why so many of us look to the sky when we’re grieving. From naming a star after Chris, to hearing Reid Wiseman honour his wife Carroll by carrying her memory to the moon, this is a conversation about love, remembrance and connection that doesn’t end when someone dies.

Grief changes. It moves. It softens. But the love stays.

If you’re navigating grief, loss or bereavement, this is a gentle reminder that you’re not alone and that connection can still be felt in ways we might not always be able to explain.

If you know anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one please share this episode. You could also share the link to The Grief Lounge community space on facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/

You can connect with me via my website www.thegriefcoachuk.com or via instagram @the_grief_coach_uk

In this episode, I’m reflecting on something that’s been sitting with me since my conversation with Katie Rizzo, in my last episode… the way grief doesn’t just belong to the closest relationships.

We often think grief is reserved for partners, parents or children, but the truth is it reaches so much further than that. It ripples out into friendships, past connections, and even people we may never have met in person.

I share my own experience of grieving someone I had never met face to face, and how that left me trying to make sense of what that kind of grief is. The kind that comes through connection, through shared moments, through being part of someone’s life in a way that doesn’t always fit into neat boxes.

We explore the impact people have on us, often without even realising it, and how those connections can carry real loss when someone dies. I also touch on disenfranchised grief, and what I describe as vicarious grief… the grief we feel through others, through their stories, and through the relationships we build in ways that aren’t always visible.

If you’ve ever found yourself grieving someone and questioning whether you have the right to feel that way, this episode is for you.

Your grief matters. Your connection matters.

This is a space for honest conversations about grief, loss and what it really feels like to live with it.

If you would like to connect with me you can find me through my website www.thegriefcoachuk.com or on instagram @the_grief_coach_uk

If you are looking for a space where you will be supported by others navigating their grief journey join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegrieflounge/