56 min
Elizabeth Catignani | My Shattered Heart: Experiencing Stillbirth & Being a Widow at 27 Grieving Voices
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- Self-Improvement
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As a mother, carrying and growing another human in the womb for nine months, it is expected that a healthy child will be born. However, for Elizabeth, that is not what happened. Her world was shattered when she realized that she wouldn't be a new mom overflowing with joy. Rather, she would become a mother with grieving empty arms.
After her firstborn died, Elizabeth and her husband were fortunate to have a healthy daughter. Yet again, her joy was cut short when their daughter was only about 5 months old when her husband was deployed in the Special Forces in the Army.
Her husband owed the military one last deployment and within six weeks of that deployment to Afghanistan, Elizabeth received a call that no military spouse ever wants to receive. Her husband was in Germany with injuries sustained while on deployment. She flew to Germany to be with him, which would turn out to be for his final breaths.
All of that loss within an 18-month period would be the catalyst for her to look for and ultimately create a space for herself and other grieving young widows.
Through a lot of ongoing healing and inner work, Elizabeth did find love again and has a family with so much love to give to. But, it wasn't a quick, bounce-right-back process either, and being a young widow, who was also still grieving a son, would pose its own challenges, too.
There's truly no way to skirt around grief. You have to feel it.
RESOURCES:
Website, Her Creative WellnessResources, Her Creative Wellness Book, Creative Grieving: A Hip Chick's Path from Loss to Hope Art Therapy for Veterans (Behind the Mask)CONNECT:
Her Creative Wellness InstagramHer Creative Wellness Facebook Page______
NEED HELP?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis CounselorIf you or anyone you know is struggling with grief, free resources are available HERE.
Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛 Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️
Support the Show.
This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.
Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of the show HERE.
Send Victoria a Text Message!
As a mother, carrying and growing another human in the womb for nine months, it is expected that a healthy child will be born. However, for Elizabeth, that is not what happened. Her world was shattered when she realized that she wouldn't be a new mom overflowing with joy. Rather, she would become a mother with grieving empty arms.
After her firstborn died, Elizabeth and her husband were fortunate to have a healthy daughter. Yet again, her joy was cut short when their daughter was only about 5 months old when her husband was deployed in the Special Forces in the Army.
Her husband owed the military one last deployment and within six weeks of that deployment to Afghanistan, Elizabeth received a call that no military spouse ever wants to receive. Her husband was in Germany with injuries sustained while on deployment. She flew to Germany to be with him, which would turn out to be for his final breaths.
All of that loss within an 18-month period would be the catalyst for her to look for and ultimately create a space for herself and other grieving young widows.
Through a lot of ongoing healing and inner work, Elizabeth did find love again and has a family with so much love to give to. But, it wasn't a quick, bounce-right-back process either, and being a young widow, who was also still grieving a son, would pose its own challenges, too.
There's truly no way to skirt around grief. You have to feel it.
RESOURCES:
Website, Her Creative WellnessResources, Her Creative Wellness Book, Creative Grieving: A Hip Chick's Path from Loss to Hope Art Therapy for Veterans (Behind the Mask)CONNECT:
Her Creative Wellness InstagramHer Creative Wellness Facebook Page______
NEED HELP?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis CounselorIf you or anyone you know is struggling with grief, free resources are available HERE.
Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛 Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️
Support the Show.
This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.
Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of the show HERE.
56 min