The Widow Diaries

Caroline Winter
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The Widow Diaries is a heartfelt and honest podcast that explores what life really looks like after losing your person, especially at a younger age. Hosted by journalist and young widow Caroline Winter, each episode shares deeply personal conversations with those navigating the unique, complicated, and often invisible world of grief. Through powerful storytelling and raw reflection, The Widow Diaries honours the messy, beautiful, and courageous ways people rebuild their lives after unimaginable loss. Created by First Light Widowed Support, this podcast is for anyone touched by widowhood, or simply seeking to understand love and loss more deeply. The Widow Diaries: where no story is the same and every story matters.

Episodes

  1. 08/09/2025

    What death taught me about living – Lisa Corduff

    What if grief began long before the goodbye? Lisa Corduff is a speaker, coach, writer, and solo mum, but her journey through grief began years before her husband Nick passed away. As she puts it, “addiction widowed me” and in this deeply honest conversation, Lisa opens up about loving someone through addiction, navigating solo parenting, and the complex grief of losing someone you’d already started to let go of. We explore what Nick’s death taught her about life, identity, and rebuilding from the inside out and how she continues to show up for others with vulnerability, humour and radical compassion.   Together, Caroline and Lisa chat about: How addiction shaped her marriage, motherhood and eventual griefThe tension of claiming widowhood after separationWhat she’s learned about life, love, and letting goHer honest take on solo parenting, identity and strengthGetting unstuck and giving yourself permission to be creativeHow to fill your own cup amid the storm Quotes that resonate with Lisa “No one is waiting at the end of this with a medal for you getting through this the hard way” and “life is a creative act” About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support. This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links Learn more about First Light Widowed SupportFollow First Light on InstagramLike First Light on FacebookConnect with First Light on LinkedInConnect with Caroline Winter on LinkedInLearn more about Lisa CorduffListen to Lisa’s podcast This moment in time

    59 min

  2. 08/02/2025

    Healing holistically and regaining power – Paula Hindle

    What if the key to healing after loss… started with your body? When Paula Hindle lost her husband Chris to suicide in 2013, she was suddenly a solo mother to two small children, with grief in one hand and survival in the other. But what followed wasn’t just a journey through pain, it was a deep, powerful return to the body, to self-worth, and to the kind of healing that reconnects you to life. Since then, Paula has dedicated herself to healing – emotionally, physically, and spiritually – and now supports other women in reclaiming their strength, sensuality, and self-worth. Together, Caroline and Paula chat about: The early days of widowhood and mothering through traumaHow grief can disconnect you from your body and how to come home againNavigating identity as a widow and a woman, longing for connection and confidenceReclaiming your body, confidence, and intimacy after lossFinding your inner power to move from surviving to thriving   Quote that resonates with Paula “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we’re spiritual beings having a human experience”   About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support.  This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links Learn more about First Light Widowed SupportFollow First Light on InstagramLike First Light on FacebookConnect with First Light on LinkedInConnect with Caroline Winter on LinkedInLearn more about Paula Unlocking Her Potential

    37 min

  3. 07/26/2025

    The weight of dates and the shape of grief – Jodi Carpenter

    What happens when the happiest day of your life becomes one of the hardest to face? For Jodi Carpenter, New Year’s Eve was the day she met her husband Chris, the day they got engaged, and eventually the day they married. But after losing Chris to brain cancer that once-joyful date – like so many others – took on a whole new meaning. In this tender and wise conversation, Jodi – a second-generation widow, mum of two, and newly minted grandma – reflects on the complicated beauty of anniversaries, the impact of generational grief, and how we carry our people forward with us. With raw honesty and deep compassion, Jodi shares how her losses have fuelled her passion to help the wider population be more educated around grief. Together, Caroline and Jodi chat about: How milestone dates like anniversaries and New Year’s shift in widowhoodParenting through grief after having lost a parent youngWhat to say and not say, to support someone facing painful datesThe legacy of love that lives on in her children and future grandchildHow grief changes over time, but never disappears   Quotes that resonate with Jodi “She was not powerful because she wasn’t scared, but because she went on so strongly despite the fear” and “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it”   About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support. This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links Learn more about First Light Widowed SupportFollow First Light on InstagramLike First Light on FacebookConnect with First Light on LinkedInConnect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn

    40 min

  4. 07/19/2025

    Choose to keep dreaming – Lauren Leslie Carr

    What happens when the life you imagined shatters, but you choose to keep dreaming anyway? Lauren Leslie Carr became a widow at just 26 when her husband James died only a year into their marriage. Grieving young and rebuilding her life wasn’t easy, but in the years to come Lauren would find her own way forward, ultimately making the bold and beautiful choice to become a solo mum by choice. Lauren shares her story with honesty, grace and humour - from navigating early grief and rediscovering herself, to raising her son Max while holding James’s memory close. If you’ve ever wondered how to live again after loss, or how to write your own version of happily ever after, listen in. Together, Caroline and Lauren chat about: Marriage and loss in almost an instantShifting identity and redefining yourself post-lossThe decision to become a solo motherMax, motherhood, memory and meaningReflections on love, loss, and building new chaptersQuote that resonates with Lauren “There’s a melancholy that lives in me that never goes away. I’m 50% happy and 50% sad at any given moment and I embrace it because that’s what he brought to my life and that’s okay”   About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support.  This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links Learn more about First Light Widowed SupportFollow First Light on InstagramLike First Light on FacebookConnect with First Light on LinkedInConnect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn

    44 min

  5. 07/12/2025

    It’s okay to feel it – Josh Clayton

    What does it mean to truly live after loss? In this moving and energising episode, we meet Josh Clayton - a shearer, trainer, mindset coach and solo dad from regional NSW who lost his partner Haley to Motor Neurone Disease, when their daughter Stella was just two and a half.  Since then, Josh has channelled his heartbreak into a mission of health, healing and hope - not only for himself and his daughter, but for the wider community.  From breaking a world shearing record to becoming a master trainer in Positive Psychology, Josh’s story is one of resilience, vulnerability and relentless positivity. He shares what it's like to parent through grief, date again as a widowed man, and why Haley’s legacy continues to guide everything he does.  Together, Caroline and Josh chat about: Haley’s diagnosis and the reality of MNDRaising a toddler while caregiving and grievingThe role of holistic health, eating well and mindsetGrief, fatherhood and the power of positivityWhy feeling your pain is more than okayQuote that resonates with Josh “Don’t stop when you’re tired, stop when you’re done”   About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support.  This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links Learn more about First Light Widowed SupportFollow First Light on InstagramLike First Light on FacebookConnect with First Light on LinkedInConnect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn

    48 min

  6. 07/05/2025

    Rebuilding a joyful life - Megan Daley

    What do you do when your world shatters, but your children still need bedtime stories and packed lunches? Megan Daley is an award-winning teacher librarian, author, podcaster, and mother who shares the layered grief of losing her brother, her aunt, and then her husband Dan. She takes us inside those early days of parenting through heartbreak, how stories helped her daughters process loss, and why she believes books hold a unique power in navigating the unimaginable. This is an episode about blending families after loss, and what it means to hold space for grief while still leaning into joy and rebuilding a joyful life. Together, Caroline and Megan chat about: Parenting through the early daysCompounding grief and carrying the weight of othersThe role of language, love and storyThe power of children’s books in the grief spaceMeeting someone new and blending familiesRebuilding a joyful life Quote that resonates with Megan “Moving on as a concept is for stupid people, because any sensible person knows grief is a long-term project. I refuse to rush. The pain that is thrust upon us, let no man slow or speed or fix”   Links Megan’s blog on grief, widowhood and books: megandaley.com.au/grief-widowhood-and-books Megan on Instagram: @childrensbooksdaily Megan’s books: Raising Readers and Teacher, Teacher About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support.  This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links Learn more about First Light Widowed SupportFollow First Light on InstagramLike First Light on FacebookConnect with First Light on LinkedInConnect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn

    46 min

  7. 06/28/2025

    Clarity change and pragmatism - Claire Scoles

    What if you could laugh and cry in the same breath while talking about death, grief, and finding love again? That’s exactly what happens in this heartwarming and honest episode with Claire Scoles – a nurse, mum, and self-proclaimed “collector of husbands” who shares her journey through loss, blended family life, and remarriage after the death of her husband, Chris. With warmth, wit and insight, Claire reflects on what it means to support a partner through terminal illness, the lessons of palliative care, and the messy, beautiful act of carrying grief and joy together. This is an episode about finding yourself again after loss, being pragmatic where it counts, and learning how to meld the before and after into the now. Together, Caroline and Claire chat about: Life, love and blended familiesDealing with diagnosis and what comes nextReflections on palliative care and death literacyParenting through grief and staying connected with stepchildrenFinding yourself again and letting someone new inQuote that resonates with Claire “You don’t get over it, you grow with it” About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support.  This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links Learn more about First Light Widowed SupportFollow First Light on InstagramLike First Light on FacebookConnect with First Light on LinkedInConnect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn

    54 min

  8. 06/21/2025

    Turning pain into purpose - Rebecca Adams

    What happens when your whole world is turned upside down just six weeks after saying “I do”? In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Rebecca Adams shares her story of losing her husband unexpectedly, just days into their marriage and how that profound grief planted the seed for something bigger. From navigating the weight of widowhood to co-founding First Light Widowed Support, Rebecca talks openly about the healing power of connection, the importance of community, and how she’s helping other young Australian widows feel seen and supported. This is an episode about transformation, leadership through loss, and how showing up for others can also be a path to healing and hope. Together, Caroline and Rebecca discuss: Navigating early widowhood and the silence around young griefFinding Camp Widow in the US, and how it changed everythingBuilding First Light: turning grief into actionSupporting others while still healing yourselfWhat young, widowed people need that the system often missesAdvice to those early in grief and what gives her hope nowQuote that resonates with Bec “Don’t let the sadness of your past or the fear of your future, ruin the happiness of your present” About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support.  This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links Learn more about First Light Widowed SupportFollow First Light on InstagramLike First Light on FacebookConnect with First Light on LinkedInConnect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn

    48 min

  9. 06/16/2025

    Introducing The Widow Diaries

    The Widow Diaries is a podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss, as a young widow. Join journalist and widow Caroline Winter each episode and hear from others who’ve walked the winding path of widowhood in their own way. The Widow Diaries for First Light Widowed Support is there to support you or someone you know and provides information, resources and connection for young, widowed people throughout Australia. The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters.  Follow or subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Links Learn more about First Light Widowed SupportFollow First Light on InstagramLike First Light on FacebookConnect with First Light on LinkedInConnect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn

    2 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

The Widow Diaries is a heartfelt and honest podcast that explores what life really looks like after losing your person, especially at a younger age. Hosted by journalist and young widow Caroline Winter, each episode shares deeply personal conversations with those navigating the unique, complicated, and often invisible world of grief. Through powerful storytelling and raw reflection, The Widow Diaries honours the messy, beautiful, and courageous ways people rebuild their lives after unimaginable loss. Created by First Light Widowed Support, this podcast is for anyone touched by widowhood, or simply seeking to understand love and loss more deeply. The Widow Diaries: where no story is the same and every story matters.

Information

  • Creator
    Caroline Winter
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © First Light Widowed Support
  • Show Website
    The Widow Diaries