What started out as an average winter morning ended up being one that would change everything in Melissa Pierce's life. She went to wake up her husband Dave for their son's basketball game and found him unresponsive. Dave had died during the night and the cause of death was never determined. Melissa jumped into figuring out logistics - planning a memorial, getting her sons to school, moving their family, working a full-time job - but eventually she had to figure out herself. It meant focusing on what she was thinking, feeling, and needing in her grief. That shift to prioritizing self-care ended up changing everything, again.
We discuss
How Melissa and Dave met and fell in love
The process of adopting their two sons
How the shock of Dave’s sudden death led to what Melissa calls “Zombie mode”
Being the person who found Dave when he died and how that impacted her grief
Grieving when the cause of death is undetermined
The financial, logistical, and emotional reality of being a solo parent
Having to tell her sons that their dad died
When Melissa started to feel her feelings in grief
The physical toll of grief
Where Melissa turned for support
How prioritizing self-care changed everything
The origin story of the Widow Squad community
Melissa is the author of Filled With Gold: A Widow’s Story, co-founder of The Widow Squad community, and co-host of The Widow Squad podcast.
Listen to The Widow Squad podcast Episode 41- Holidays and Grief: Strategies to Get Through the Holidays After Your Spouse Dies.
Ep. 32: The Youngest Grievers
Ep. 31: Birthdays & Anniversaries - Grief And Significant Days
Ep. 30: The Private Grief Of A Public Death
Ep. 29: When Grief Catches Up With You
Ep. 28: Supporting Children Grieving A Suicide Death
Ep. 27: Grief And The Holidays
Ep. 26: Grief And Complex Relationships (Part 3) - The Death Of A Parent
Ep. 25: Grief And Complex Relationships (Part 2) - The Death Of A Sibling
Ep. 24: Grief And Complex Relationships (Part 1) - The Death Of An Ex-Husband
Ep. 23: Language, Suicide, And Stigma (Part 3)
Ep. 22: Grief And Becoming a Parent - An Interview With What's Your Grief
Ep. 21: Turning Points In Grief
Ep. 20: Grief And Developmental Disabilities
Ep. 19: Advanced Serious Illness
Ep. 18: Grieving The Death Of A Sibling - Tips For Supporting Children
Ep. 17: Grieving A Suicide Death
Ep. 16: Grief And Father's Day
Ep. 15: Language, Suicide, And Stigma (Part 2)
Ep. 14: The Death Of Both Parents: Grieving As A Young Adult
Ep. 13: Grieving Through Mother's Day
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