Brave Widow Show

Emily Tanner
  • 5.0 (13)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Inspiration for young widows to help heal their heart, find hope, and dream again for the future.

  1. BW 181: Don’t Want This New Year Without Him? How Widows Can Build a Life Better Than You Imagine.

    12/30/2025

    BW 181: Don’t Want This New Year Without Him? How Widows Can Build a Life Better Than You Imagine.

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: * Apply for the Brave Widow Academy Scholarship (applications open until January 2): bravewidow.com * Learn about the next Brave Widow Academy group starting Thursday, January 22 at bravewidow.com * Want more support rebuilding life after loss? Book a free consult at bravewidow.com * Curious about Grief Recovery Method® with Emily? https://www.bravewidow.com/offers/EPW2EeyT/checkout Everyone’s shouting “Happy New Year!” and making resolutions… and you’re thinking, I don’t even want this new year because he isn’t in it. If that’s you, this episode is for you. In Episode 181 of The Brave Widow Show, Emily talks about the strange, painful feeling of moving into a year your person will never see, and how to step into the future without feeling like you’re abandoning him in the past. You’ll hear: * Why entering a new year can feel surreal, unfair, and anxiety‑provoking for widows * A powerful reframe: if you believe you’ll see him again, each step forward can bring you closer, not further away * Emily’s story of feeling empty nearly two years out, and how Brave Widow slowly became more than she could have imagined * The “four seasons of grief” and why your life can one day feel better than you’re able to picture right now * How to “borrow belief” when you don’t have any hope left of your own You’ll leave with a tiny seed of hope that your life in the future can be gentler, fuller, and more meaningful than the gray, empty version your brain is predicting today. Get support as a widow If you’re a widow trying to rebuild a life you can love again, you don’t have to do it alone. Join the Brave Widow Academy for a proven path, live coaching, and a community of widows who truly get it: 👉 Learn more and join here: bravewidow.com/academy 💬 If this episode helped you, please: * Hit Subscribe * Leave a quick rating & review – it helps more widows find this support * Share this with a friend who’s facing grief or the holidays without their person

    36 min
  2. BW 180: First Christmas Without Your Husband? 3-Step Widow Survival Plan To Protect Your Heart

    12/23/2025

    BW 180: First Christmas Without Your Husband? 3-Step Widow Survival Plan To Protect Your Heart

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:    Learn more about Brave Widow Academy and current scholarship details: bravewidow.com  Ready for more support? Book a free consult at bravewidow.com to see if the Academy or 1:1 coaching is a fit  Grief Recovery Method with Emily Tanner: https://www.bravewidow.com/offers/EPW2EeyT/checkout   If this is your first Christmas without your husband and you already feel that knot in your stomach… this episode is for you.   In Episode 180 of The Brave Widow Show, Emily shares a gentle 3-step survival plan to help you get through what is often one of the hardest days in a widow’s first year: the first Christmas without him.   You’ll learn how to:  Protect your heart instead of powering through and pretending to be “okay”  Plan your exit so you can leave events without guilt, panic, or drama  Choose one meaningful moment to honor your person without trying to make the whole holiday “magical”   We talk about:  Why the holidays can feel like emotional whiplash when you’re newly widowed  Guilt, “wearing a mask,” and feeling pressure to make it special for everyone else  How to simplify traditions, set boundaries, and bow out gracefully  Practical ideas for honoring your spouse in a way that doesn’t shatter you   If you’re facing your first Christmas as a widow and feel fragile, numb, or like you might break at any moment… you are not alone, and there is a gentler way through this season.     Get support as a widow If you’re a widow in your 40s–60s trying to rebuild a life you can love again, you don’t have to do it alone. Join the Brave Widow Academy for a proven path, live coaching, and a community of widows who truly get it:   👉 Learn more and join here: bravewidow.com/academy   💬 If this episode helped you, please:   Hit Subscribe   Leave a quick rating & review – it helps more widows find this support  • • Share this with a friend who’s facing grief or the holidays without their person

    19 min
  3. BONUS: 2025 Widow Winter Solstice: Longest Night Of Grief | Christian Widows On Loneliness, Holidays & Hope

    12/22/2025

    BONUS: 2025 Widow Winter Solstice: Longest Night Of Grief | Christian Widows On Loneliness, Holidays & Hope

    Apply for the Brave Widow Academy scholarship before midnight, Friday, January 2nd: https://www.bravewidow.com/scholarship   If you’re ready for more support, learn about Brave Widow Academy here: https://www.bravewidow.com/academy   The longest night of the year can feel even darker when your person is gone.   In this special 2025 Widow Winter Solstice gathering, Emily and a panel of Christian widows share honest stories about loneliness, surviving the holidays, feeling misunderstood, wrestling with God, and answering the question: “Will I always feel this way?”   You’ll hear real, unpolished conversations from women in different seasons of widowhood who have walked through the same sleepless nights, empty chairs, and “I don’t know who I am anymore” moments you may be living right now.   In this episode you’ll hear: -Why we honor Winter Solstice as “the longest night” for widows -Raw stories of loneliness in grief: empty houses, changing friendships, family let-downs -How faith, prayer, and Scripture show up when you’re angry, numb, or confused with God -What helped each widow move from “just surviving” to taking tiny brave steps again -Guided reflection prompts you can use tonight to process your own grief -How joy and sorrow can coexist without betraying your person’s memory -An invitation to go deeper inside Brave Widow Academy and our scholarship opportunity   Next steps -Watch / listen and journal through the reflection prompts -Share your person’s name in the comments so we can honor them with you   Chapters  00:00 Welcome & Why Winter Solstice matters for widows 09:00 Panel introductions & love stories 28:00 Loneliness in the new normal 1:22:00 Guided reflection time 1:35:00 “Will I always feel this way?” 2:25:00 Q&A on anger, boundaries, and kids

    2h 51m

  4. 12/17/2025

    BONUS: When The Holidays Hurt: Widow Winter Solstice Gathering On The Longest Night (Free Online Event)

    The holidays can feel brutal after your spouse dies. While the world is twinkling with lights and parties, you’re just trying to get through the longest nights. I’m inviting you to Widow Winter Solstice, a free online gathering on Sunday, December 21, 6–8 pm Central for widows and widowers on the longest night of the year. You’ll be able to: Cozy up at home in PJs (you’re not on camera) Hear from a panel of widows at different stages of loss Ask questions live in the chat or simply listen Join giveaways (books, gift cards, and Brave Widow surprises) Remember your person and be reminded: it will not always feel like this 👉 Register & get the replay + giveaways: https://www.bravewidow.com/winter

    3 min
  5. BW 179: When God Shows Up in Grief: Widower’s Rare Cancer Story with Danny Lesslie

    12/16/2025

    BW 179: When God Shows Up in Grief: Widower’s Rare Cancer Story with Danny Lesslie

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Connect with Danny: * Book: Thank You, Cancer (paperback & Kindle) https://stan.store/dannylesslie/p/thank-you-cancer- * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momentumwithdanny/ * Substack (audiobook-style readings & poetry): https://dannylesslie.substack.com * Brave Widow® Academy: https://www.bravewidow.com/academy * Grief Recovery Method with Emily Tanner: https://www.bravewidow.com/offers/EPW2EeyT/checkout What do you do when you run out of options… and then God shows up? In this episode of The Brave Widow Show, Emily talks with widower and dad, Danny Lesslie, who walked through five years of a rare vulvar cancer journey with his wife Raffaella before losing her in December 2024. Danny shares the raw reality of caregiving, solo parenting two daughters, crippling financial uncertainty, and the “Jesus moments” that became anchors for their faith when there were no moves left. You’ll also hear how Danny and Raffaella’s story became the powerful book “Thank You, Cancer” – built from her own real-time journal entries, his perspective as a caregiver, and the undeniable ways God provided when everything else fell apart. In this episode, we talk about: * Getting a rare cancer diagnosis and how it upended their life overnight * The 1,592 days of pain Raffaella endured, and how she still showed up with joy * Losing jobs, housing, and stability… and the RV + home God provided the same day * What it’s really like to raise two young daughters without their mom * How to hold anger, confusion, and faith at the same time * Turning grief into a book: why “Thank You, Cancer” exists and what’s inside * Using writing and sharing their story as a way to “spend” unexpressed love * Practical encouragement for widows, widowers, and solo parents in deep grief Get support as a widow If you’re a widow in your 40s–60s trying to rebuild a life you can love again, you don’t have to do it alone. Join the Brave Widow Academy for a proven path, live coaching, and a community of widows who truly get it: 👉 Learn more and join here: bravewidow.com/academy 💬 If this episode helped you, please: * Hit Subscribe * Leave a quick rating & review – it helps more widows find this support * Share this with a friend who’s facing grief or the holidays without their person

    43 min
  6. BW 178: From Christmas Eve Heart Attack to Hope: Allyson’s Widow Story of Faith, Four Kids & Healing

    12/09/2025

    BW 178: From Christmas Eve Heart Attack to Hope: Allyson’s Widow Story of Faith, Four Kids & Healing

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:   Brave Widow® Academy: https://www.bravewidow.com/academy  Grief Recovery Method with Emily Tanner: https://www.bravewidow.com/offers/EPW2EeyT/checkout   When your husband dies suddenly on Christmas Eve… while you’re standing there with your kids… how do you ever breathe again? In today’s episode, I’m talking with Allyson, a Brave Widow community member, mom of four, and woman of deep faith whose husband Chris died of a sudden heart attack just six days after their 23rd wedding anniversary.       What those first days and months really felt like when grief made it hard to even breathe   How her existing habits (prayer, gratitude journaling, gym, music) became lifelines after loss  Organ donation, and the surprising thought that someone may have received a life-saving gift on Christmas because of Chris   Mom guilt, four kids, and trying to balance their grief, her grief, and all the “to-dos” life still demands  Why she says grief is some of the “hardest work you’ll ever do” – and how she chose to keep going anyway  Saying yes to support: life coaching, grief recovery, Brave Widow Academy, and a “waterfalls + camping” trip totally outside her comfort zone  How faith was both tested and strengthened – and why she clings to the belief that “if it’s not good, it’s not over”  Practical things she does now (especially around holidays) so she isn’t alone and doesn’t wake up on a hard day with no plan If you’re in the thick of it – wondering if life will ever feel anything but shattered – Allyson’s story is a tender, honest reminder to hang on, take the next tiny step, and let people help you.     💬 If this episode helped you, please:   Hit Subscribe   Leave a quick rating & review – it helps more widows find this support  Share this with a friend who’s facing grief or the holidays without their person

    36 min

  7. 11/26/2025

    BW 177: Will I Always Feel This Way? The 4 Seasons of Widow Grief (And Why Time Alone Won’t Heal You)

    🔗 Resources Mentioned Brave Widow Academy – 6-Month Group Coaching: Your roadmap from deep grief to rebuilding and loving your life again ➝ https://bravewidow.com/academy Grief Recovery Method – 8-Week Evidence-Based Program: Next group starts December 9, Tuesdays 1–3 pm CT, limited spots ➝ https://bravewidow.com Free Consult Call: Not sure what you need next? Book a free, no-pressure call. ➝ https://bravewidow.com If you’ve ever thought, “Is this it? Is this how I’m going to feel for the next 40–50 years?” this episode is for you. In today’s Brave Widow Show, I walk you through my RISE Framework — the 4 Seasons of Widow Grief: R – Rawness: the shock, numbness, insomnia, and survival mode I – Isolation: when everyone else moves on and you feel left behind S – Self-Discovery: trying new things, facing guilt, and finding tiny glimmers of hope E – Empowerment: building a life that honors your person and actually feels worth living We talk about: Why “time heals all wounds” isn’t true (it’s time + tools + action) What to do when every happy moment feels like the knife is being twisted How guilt keeps you stuck (“If I stop hurting, did I love them enough?”) The moment I decided, “My life is not going to end when his did.” How to carry both — deep love for your person and excitement for your future 👉 You do not have to feel this way forever… but you do get to decide. ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome & updates on Brave Widow Academy + Grief Recovery 2:00 – The question every widow asks: Will I always feel like this? 4:00 – Season 1: Rawness – shock, numbness, survival mode 11:00 – Season 2: Isolation – when everyone else’s life keeps going 17:00 – “What’s the point?” moment on the backyard bench 23:00 – Season 3: Self-Discovery – trying new things, feeling guilty, not going back 31:00 – Can grief really change? First glimpses of real joy again 38:00 – Season 4: Empowerment – living a life where both of you still matter 45:00 – Grief as a “bank account” that needs to be spent 51:00 – How Brave Widow Academy & Grief Recovery can support your next steps 👋 About Brave Widow I’m Emily, a widow, grief coach, and founder of Brave Widow. I help widows move from feeling lost, lonely, and stuck to feeling clear, connected, and confident as they rebuild a life they can love again. Subscribe for more episodes on grief, healing, purpose, dating after loss, and building a life after widowhood.

    53 min
  8. BW 176: Available As Is: How a Midlife Widow Rebuilt Her Life, Found Love & Wrote Her Story

    11/24/2025

    BW 176: Available As Is: How a Midlife Widow Rebuilt Her Life, Found Love & Wrote Her Story

    Connect with Debbie: Book: Available As Is: A Midlife Widow’s Search for Love (Amazon, Apple Books, and most retailers) https://a.co/d/6jBMOxz Website: https://debbieweissauthor.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbie_weiss_author/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.hansen.9/   Work with Emily / Brave Widow: 🔁 Grief Recovery Method® – an 8-week, evidence-based program to help you heal your heart and find emotional freedom https://www.bravewidow.com/offers/EPW2EeyT/checkout 🧭 Brave Widow Academy – 6-month coaching and community to help widows find clarity, real connection, and lasting confidence https://www.bravewidow.com/academy 📞 Book a free consult: Go to BraveWidow.com to schedule your no-pressure call and see what support is right for you    In today’s episode of The Brave Widow Show, I’m talking with author and midlife widow Debbie Weiss, who went from a 32-year marriage and deep isolation after her husband’s death… to rebuilding her life, dating again in midlife, earning an MFA in Creative Writing at 56, and writing her memoir Available As Is: A Midlife Widow’s Search for Love.    We talk honestly (and with humor) about what it’s really like to start over after decades with one person, how to build a new life when you feel totally alone, and the messy reality of midlife dating after loss.   🔔 Subscribe for more real conversations about widowhood, grief, dating after loss, and rebuilding a life you actually want to live.   💔 In This Episode, You’ll Hear: Debbie’s story: Growing up in the Bay Area, marrying her high school sweetheart, and losing her husband after 32 years together.    Isolation after loss: How being introverted, retired, and “just the two of us” left her deeply alone after he died—and what she did first to change that.    Tiny brave steps to a new life: The small, practical actions she took: daily walks, yoga, staying after class to talk, and joining groups (Meetup, hiking, writing, career groups).    Dating again as a midlife widow: Why she started dating 18 months after her loss, what she wishes she’d done differently, and the “red flags” she ignored at first.    The myth of “you should just accept less now”: How midlife dating culture often pressures widows to settle—and why you don’t have to.   Finding her voice & identity: Going back to school for an MFA at 56, taking her writing seriously, and turning her experience into an award-winning memoir.    Hope 12 years later: What grief looks like now, being with a second life partner, and why she believes there’s real hope for widows—even when it doesn’t feel that way.      Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome + Grief Recovery Method update 02:30 – Meet Debbie: high school sweetheart, 32-year marriage, cancer, and loss 05:00 – Isolation after widowhood: “I had to create a whole new life” 07:00 – Tiny steps: walks, yoga, and not running out of the room 10:00 – 12 years later: What grief and hope look like now 11:30 – Dating 18 months after loss: what she’d do differently 15:00 – Why you don’t have to accept “less” just because you’re older 18:00 – Writing Available As Is and going back to school at 54 24:00 – “You’re not too old. Life is not over.” 27:00 – How to connect with Debbie & next steps with Brave Widow

    30 min
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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Inspiration for young widows to help heal their heart, find hope, and dream again for the future.

Information

  • Creator
    Emily Tanner
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    189
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Brave Widow. All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Brave Widow Show

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