In an instant, Leslie went from sharing every aspect of life with her husband Ryan to feeling like half a person. Leslie, Ryan, their two young children, and their extended family were on vacation in California when Ryan told Leslie that something didn't feel right. He was rushed to the hospital where he died of a stroke and an aneurysym, leaving Leslie to figure out how to live their life without him. The people Leslie most wanted to talk to in her grief were other widows. This inspired her to start Vids for Wids - a project to capture the stories of widows in the hopes of helping others feel less alone.
We discuss:
How Leslie and Ryan met as co-workers
The day Ryan died while they were on vacation
Suddenly feeling like half a person without Ryan
Telling her very young children about his death
The early days and weeks of widowhood
How her kids’ grief is changing over time
The power of talking to other widows
What Leslie learned about grief from Ryan
Dating and becoming a remarried widow
Leslie’s Vids for Wids project to support other widows
Ep. 147: Grief & Mother's Day - A Teen's Take
Ep. 146: Reflection - A Mini-Episode
Ep. 145: Speaking Grief - Lindsey Whissel Fenton
Ep. 144: A Grieving Father Turned To Words - Jayson Greene
Ep. 143: A Full-Time Other Mother - Step-Parenting Grieving Children
Ep. 142: Suffocated Grief & Supporting Black Youth - Dr. Tashel Bordere
Ep. 141: You Can't Give From Empty - Grief Professionals & COVID-19 With Megan Devine
Ep. 140: Supporting Widowed Dads - Dr. Justin Yopp
Ep. 139: Grief & Coronavirus/COVID-19 - Leslie Barber
Encore Ep. 106: Grief & Anxiety - Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC
Ep. 138: Running Home - Katie Arnold
Ep. 137: Grief & The Foster Care System - A Personal Story
Ep. 136: L.Y.G.H.T. - Supporting Grieving Youth In The Foster Care System
Ep. 135: The Worst News - An Update
Ep. 134: Breath, Movement, Sound - Grief Yoga With Paul Denniston
Ep. 133: Widowed Parenting - Jenny Lisk
Ep. 132: Finding Meaning - David Kessler
Ep. 131: Permission To Grieve - Shelby Forsythia
Encore Ep. 11: Who Am I Now?
Ep. 130: Grief & PTSD - Megan Hillukka
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Your Sleep Guru Podcast
Anxiety Slayer™ with Shann and Ananga
Men Do Talk Podcast
The Dr. John Delony Show
On Purpose with Jay Shetty