A Widow and A Wife-Where 'for better or worse' Gets Real

Leslie Shaffer and Monica Bowser
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Relationships
  • Weekly

A podcast where we pull back the curtain on the things that connect us all: love, loss and the laughter that gets us through it all. No matter what you're navigating, there's a seat at our table for you. No topic is off limits, and no emotion is too much.

  1. 6d ago

    Feeling it All (Part 1): How Loss Redefines Our Emotional Capacity Part 1

    When the bottom falls out, the ceiling rises too. ✨   In Episode 19 Part 1 of A Widow and A Wife, we're talking about a truth that almost anyone who has walked through profound loss discovers: grief doesn't just make you sad—it stretches your heart wide open on every side. When you experience devastating pain or loss, your entire emotional baseline shifts. But here's the unexpected part: when the dial turns down into deep sorrow, it turns up equally on the other end.   Because you've known deep grief, you recognize pure joy when it arrives. Because you've felt total absence, love hits different. In this conversation, we talk about: ▪️ How loss expands your capacity for both joy and heartbreak ▪️ Moving past the "numbness" and learning to feel it all again ▪️ Why high-contrast living makes everyday moments feel richer   🎧 Listen to Episode 19 Part 1: "Feeling It All: How Loss Redefines Our Emotional Capacity" out now, click the link in our bio to listen now!

  2. Oct 23

    Reading Between the Lines; Finding Yourself in Sacred Shadows

    Sometimes the women we connect with the most in the Bible aren't the ones with the heroic, neat, or edge of your seat stories.    On Episode #18 of A Widow and A Wife, "Reading Between the Lines; Finding Yourself in Sacred Shadows," we're taking a step outside the box. We look past the obvious and dig into the complex, often overlooked women of scripture. Their trials, choices, and humanity prove that history echoes. We walk in the very same shoes as these sacred women - and their stories have so much to teach us today.

  3. Oct 16

    Redefining the Dash

    Most people think of the dash on a tombstone as a single line-one neat little mark summarizing an entire life from start to finish. But what happens when a life splits wide open? When trauma, deep grief, or massive life shifts force you to begin again?  In Episode #17 of A Widow and A Wife, we are talking about the power of the dash-and why you aren't limited to just one. Starting over isn't failure; it's an act of profound bravery! Whether you are reinventing yourself after addiciton, rebuilding after heartbreak, or simply starting fresh for the fifth time, you have permission to start a new chapter. You can have as many dashes as you need. And you should be DAMN proud of every single one! Episode #17 "Redefining the Dash" is out now! Link in bio!

  4. Oct 9

    Holding the 'And': When Two Opposite Things Are True

    You can be deeply grateful for your life and completely overwhelmed by it.   You can be growing in confidence and still feel insecure.    You can get better at asking for help and still feel guilty for needing it.   In episode #16 of A Widow and A Wife, "Holding the 'And': When Two Opposite Things Are True," we're sitting down to talk about emotional duality - the quiet, messy reality of holding two contradictory feelings in one heart. Healing isn't about picking one side; it's about making room for the "and".   Episode #16 is out now! Tap the link in our bio to listen today!

  5. Oct 2

    Finding Micro Joys for Macro Emotions

    Big emotions can take up a lot of space - whether it's grief, anxiety, depression or loneliness. But what if the way forward isn't making massive shifts, but finding those small things, these tiny moments of light instead?   In Episode #15 of A Widow and A Wife, "Finding Micro Joys for Macro Emotions," we're expanding the conversation around micro joys. While they can be a lifeline for big grief, they can also be very powerful helping deal with many of life's heaviest feelings.   Tune is as we talk about spotting these small glimmers when everything else seems overwhelming.    Click the link in our bio and join us.

  6. Sep 25

    The Empty Chair: Pain and Purpose

    An empty chair tells two very different stories. It represents the quiet, heavy space left behind by that loss that changed everything. But it's also an invitation-the seat we intentionally pull up for someone who feels lost, unseen, or searching for their space.  In Episode #14 of A Widow and A Wife "The Empty Chair: Pain and Purpose", we talk about the grief of what's missing, while be brave to create space for new space, connection, and purpose. Tune in now and join us! Links in bio!

  7. Sep 18

    Outgrowing the Role

    Before you ever knew who you were, someone else said something that made you feel like who you should be-the "good child," the "fixer," the "strong one," or "the pleaser". In Episode 13 of A Widow and A Wife, titled, "Outgrowing the Role," we are digging into a deeply personal difficult truth: how the labels placed on us in childhood become the exact identities we use to earn love and acceptance as adults. Carrying these roles into adulthood oftem means putting everone else's comfort ahead of our own truth. And while stepping out of those molds is necessary for genuine healing, the process of unlearning them is uncomfortable, scary, and hard work. In this conversation, we explore how to recognize the scripts given, navigating the friction of breaking them, and finally step into who you actually are-or figuring out who you are. If you've spent your life holding up a role just to stay safe or accepted, this episode is your space to put that heavy armor down.

  8. Sep 11

    The Fog, The Flashes & Friendship

    From sudden memory lapses, to heat waves (that have nothing to do with the weather) and random chin hair...the strange beauty of midlife-we are talking about it! Episode #12 of A Widow and A Wife, "The Fog, The Flashes & Friendship", has officially dropped! We are "warming" up to the realities of menopause and womanhood, reflecting on how we change, our perspectives shift and having friends through it all is the best medicine out there. Whether you're in the thick of it or trying to prepare for what's next, here's a reminder that community turns chaotic moments into shared laughter.

See All (19)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A podcast where we pull back the curtain on the things that connect us all: love, loss and the laughter that gets us through it all. No matter what you're navigating, there's a seat at our table for you. No topic is off limits, and no emotion is too much.

Information