The Widow's Collective

Lauren Lentz

The Widow’s Collective is where grief meets hope, healing, and community. Hosted by grief coach and widow, Lauren Lentz, each episode offers tender reflections, real conversations, and practical tools to help you navigate life after loss. Whether you’re in the depths of early grief or learning to reimagine your life in the “after,” you’ll find a gentle space to land here — one that honors your story, your pace, and your humanity.

  1. 5D AGO

    Episode 25: The Hard Truth About Grief and Life

    In today’s episode, we explore the often unspoken reality that both life and grief are not meant to feel effortless — even though we’re often told they should. This conversation gently challenges the idea that healing should feel good, easy, or resolved… and instead offers a more honest perspective on what it can actually look like to move with grief over time. Inside this episode, we talk about: Why discomfort doesn’t mean something is going wrongThe emotional weight that can come with doing real inner workThe fear many people feel around opening the door to griefCommon misunderstandings about what “healing” is supposed to feel likeWhat it means to redefine healing in the context of love and lossHow emotional capacity is built over time — slowly and quietlyThe difference between fear and capacity when it comes to seeking supportIf you are in a heavy season right now, or if you’ve been questioning whether you’re “doing grief right,” this episode is a reminder that you are not alone — and you are not doing this wrong. If this episode resonated… If something in this conversation spoke to you, you’re invited to take the next step in whatever way feels supportive for you. You can: Share this episode with someone who may need itReach out for supportOr simply sit with what came up for you todayIf you’re looking for a space to be held in your grief — one that honors both the pain and the possibility of what comes next — you can learn more about my offerings below.  www.laurenlentz.com Stay Connected If you’d like more support, reflections, and gentle reminders throughout your week, you can connect with me here: Instagram: @imsorrywerefriends

    18 min

  2. MAR 12

    Episode 24: Secondary Losses — The Death of the Life You Thought You’d Have

    When a partner dies, the loss extends far beyond their physical absence. In this episode, Lauren explores secondary losses — the often invisible grief that comes from losing the future you thought you were building together. These losses can include the dreams, plans, milestones, and identity that were intertwined with your partnership. They often surface slowly over time and can leave widows feeling disoriented, isolated, and unsure of how to move forward. Lauren shares why these layers of grief are so real, why they can feel so destabilizing, and how community can play a powerful role in helping widows navigate the life that remains. If you've ever found yourself grieving the life you thought you would have, this conversation is for you. In This Episode What secondary losses are and why they can feel so profoundThe grief of losing the future you believed you were buildingWhy reminders of other couples and milestones can bring unexpected waves of griefThe identity shifts that often happen after the death of a partnerNavigating the emotional tension between missing the life you imagined and continuing to live the life that remainsWhy connection with other widows can be deeply healingMentioned in This Episode Re-Imagine: A 12-Week Group Program for Widows Re-Imagine is a small, supportive group space for widows who are navigating the deeper layers of grief — including identity shifts, loneliness, and the question of how life begins to move forward again. Inside the program, we explore: Secondary lossesLoneliness in griefRebuilding identityCreating meaning in life after lossMoving forward without leaving love behindEnrollment for the upcoming round is currently open and will close by the end of this week.  Learn more here: [Re-Imagine Group Grief Support for Widows] Connect with Lauren If this episode resonated with you, please consider: Subscribing to the podcastSharing this episode with another widow who might need itLeaving a review to help more widows find this supportWebsite: laurenlentz.com Instagram: @imsorrywerefriends A Gentle Reminder Grieving the life you thought you’d have is a real and valid part of loss. You are not broken. You are not grieving “wrong.” You are someone who loves deeply — and is learning how to carry that love forward in a life that looks different than you once imagined. Big hugs and lots of love. 🤍

    16 min

  3. MAR 5

    Episode 23: “Who Am I Now That He's Gone?"

    In today’s episode, we explore a question that often surfaces in widowhood, whether weeks, months, or years after loss: Who am I now that he’s gone? This isn’t a question with a quick answer. It’s not something to solve. It’s something to inhabit. Inside this episode, we talk about: The identity shift that happens after losing a partnerWhy the nervous system feels unanchored in griefThe tension between longing and possibilityGuilt that can arise when you notice strength or curiosityWhat it means to carry love forward while standing on your ownYou’ll also be guided through a gentle reflection to help you notice who you are becoming — without pressure, without urgency. Redefining yourself after loss isn’t about erasing him.  It’s about discovering who you are now — carrying his love with you, but standing on your own two feet. And that is meaningful work. Reflection Prompt from This Episode When you have quiet time, ask yourself: Who am I imagining I am becoming without him here, while still carrying our love forward? You don’t need to answer it perfectly. Just notice what arises. Want Support in This Exploration? If this episode resonated, you don’t have to sit with these questions alone. Re-Imagine, my 12-week group experience for widows, is a space where we gently explore identity, grief, love, and rebuilding — together. Enrollment is now open and begins soon. Learn more here:  [Re-Imagine Online Group Support for Widows] If this episode spoke to you, I would be so grateful if you: Follow or subscribe to the podcastLeave a reviewShare it with another widow who may need these words todayUntil next time, big hugs and lots of love. 💛

    19 min

  4. MAR 3 · BONUS

    Episode 22: Wanting To Be Seen, Scared To Be Held

    There’s a quiet tension many widows carry: We long to be seen.  And we’re scared to be held. In this episode, I explore the vulnerability of being witnessed in grief — why it can feel threatening to let others see the depth of what we’re carrying, and how loss reshapes our nervous system’s relationship to attachment and support. We talk about: Why being seen after loss can feel like exposureThe protective role of fear and hesitationThe loneliness that lingers even when people are aroundThe nervous system’s response to attachment after lossThe quiet power of sitting in spaces where no one flinches at his nameWhy group support can feel both comforting and terrifyingIf you’ve ever found yourself craving connection but hesitating to step toward it, this conversation is for you. Reflection Questions You might gently ask yourself: Where am I craving to be seen… but holding myself back from being held?If I could be seen without consequence, what would I say?What part of me is tired of carrying this alone?Is my hesitation protection… or is it fear of something new?No fixing. No forcing. Just awareness. Re-Imagine: 12-Week Group Support for Widows Re-Imagine is a small, structured, and intentionally held 12-week online group experience for widows. This is not a drop-in space.  It’s a place where trust builds slowly — week by week, conversation by conversation. You are always encouraged to share, but never forced.  Listening counts.  Showing up quietly counts.  Your pace is honored. If you’d like to explore whether this space feels supportive for you, you can find more details here: Re-Imagine Group Support Enrollment is open now. And whether you ever join a group or not — I hope this episode reminds you: Wanting to be seen is human.  And being held does not diminish your strength. It deepens it.

    13 min

  5. FEB 26

    Episode 21: Reimagining Love and Life After Loss

    Episode 21: Reimagining Love and Life After Loss When a partner dies, it’s not only the past that breaks open — it’s the future you thought you were living toward. In this episode, Lauren gently explores what it means to reimagine love and life after loss — not as a betrayal of what was, but as a slow, internal permission to keep living while still carrying deep love and grief. This is a conversation about identity, fear, desire, and the quiet ways life begins to reshape itself after everything changes. In this episode, we explore: Why reimagining life can feel like replacing the person you lost — and why it isn’tThe unspoken identity shift that comes with becoming a widowCultural expectations that pressure widows to shrink, stay frozen, or “prove” their griefHow love continues — not by disappearing, but by transforming and integratingThe complicated terrain of new love: longing, resistance, guilt, and permissionExpanding the definition of love beyond romanceReimagining daily life, traditions, and the ordinary momentsHolding grief and possibility at the same time — without rushing or forcing growthThis episode is not about moving on. It’s about honoring what was and allowing space for what might still be possible. A gentle invitation: If this episode stirred something in you — curiosity, resistance, guilt, hope — know that all of it belongs. Lauren’s 12-week group grief support experience for widows, Re-Imagine, begins the week of March 15. It’s a space for women who are ready to explore what it means to move forward with their grief — supported, witnessed, and understood. Doors open next week. You can sign up on the Interest List HERE You don’t have to erase your past to expand your future. And you don’t have to figure this out alone.

    16 min

  6. FEB 19

    Episode 20: Coming Back Home To Yourself

    When we lose a partner, we don’t just lose the person we loved —  we lose the orientation we had to life itself. In this episode, I explore what it means to come back home to yourself after loss — not by trying to “find the old you,” but by slowly rediscovering who you are now, in a body and life that have been changed by love and grief. If you’ve ever thought: “I don’t recognize myself anymore,”“I don’t know who I am now that he’s gone,” or“I feel like I’m watching my life instead of living it,”this conversation is for you. In this episode, we explore: Why grief is so deeply disorienting — and why losing a partner often means losing your sense of inner homeThe quiet ways grief impacts identity, capacity, and the nervous systemWhat it means to grieve the version of yourself you were — without shameWhy wanting to go backward doesn’t mean you’re stuck (it means something mattered)The difference between coping and truly coming home to yourselfHow identity after loss is revealed slowly, through lived moments — not pressureWhy this process can’t be rushed, fixed, or forcedThe loneliness of being misunderstood, even when surrounded by people who careGentle, practical ways to begin rebuilding safety, trust, and presence within yourselfComing back home isn’t a destination.  It’s a felt sense of safety that’s rebuilt over time — through listening, permission, and compassion. Gentle reflection questions from this episode: What parts of myself feel unfamiliar right now?Where am I asking myself to have clarity before I have safety?What feels true for me now — even if I can’t explain it yet?What would it look like to stay with myself, instead of pushing through?About Re-Imagine Re-Imagine is my 12-week grief support group for widows, designed to help you come back into relationship with yourself — with structure, nervous-system support, and women who truly understand this terrain. Not to fix you. Not to rush you. But to walk alongside you as you learn how to live inside yourself again. Group begins: March 16 Free workshop: February 25 at 4:00 PM PST (I’ll be sharing more about Re-Imagine there.) You can find the workshop link HERE or reach out directly at lauren@imsorrywerefriends.com You are not meant to recreate yourself. You are meant to discover yourself — in a way that honors both who you were and who you are becoming.

    14 min

  7. FEB 12

    Episode 19: Valentine’s Day in the After

    Valentine’s Day can land very differently in widowhood — whether it once meant everything, or barely registered at all. In this episode, I’m sitting with the tenderness of love-centered days after loss. We talk about why days like Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, and weddings can quietly magnify grief, how love continues to live in the body even after death, and why there is no “right” way to move through these moments. I also share my own experience of the first Valentine’s Day after Kevin died — what I needed, what surprised me, and what it taught me about permission, presence, and listening to ourselves in grief. Inside this episode, we explore: Why love-centered days often feel heavier in widowhoodThe difference between being alone and feeling aloneHow grief can feel more intense when the world keeps movingWhy there is no correct way to do Valentine’s Day after lossGentle, compassionate ways to support yourself through tender daysThis episode is an invitation to soften expectations, release performance, and honor whatever it takes for you to get through the day. Free Workshop: Loneliness, Grief, & Being Held in Community If this episode resonated and you’re longing for a space where you don’t have to explain your grief, I’d love to invite you to my free workshop on February 25th. We’ll talk about: Why loneliness often feels amplified inside of griefThe difference between feeling alone and being aloneSelf-compassion as you navigate everything coming up for youHow being held in the right kind of community can gently shift the grief experienceAn introduction to my 12-week group grief support program for widows, Re-Imagine (beginning mid-March)🗓 February 25th 🕓 4:00 PM PST 🔗 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83653452564 You can also find the registration link in my Instagram bio, or reach out directly at lauren@imsorrywerefriends.com and I’ll share it with you personally. Thank you for being here, and for letting me sit with you in this tender space.  Take gentle care of yourself. 💛

    14 min

  8. FEB 5

    Episode 18: The Love That Still Lives Here

    February can bring up complicated emotions for widows — especially as love is publicly framed through romance, couple-hood, and celebration. In this episode, Lauren offers a spacious, honest conversation about the kind of love that doesn’t disappear after loss — the love that remains, changes shape, and continues to live in the body, memory, and nervous system. Together, we explore how grief is not only pain, but love with nowhere obvious to go — and how moving forward doesn’t require letting go of love, but learning how to walk with it differently. This episode is for you if: Valentine’s Day feels heavy, hollow, or disorientingYou’ve wondered where your love goes after your partner diesYou feel pressure to “move on” or quiet your griefYou’re learning how to live alongside love in a new formIn this episode, we talk about: Why love doesn’t end when a life endsHow grief lives in the body and nervous systemThe myth that healing requires letting go of loveRediscovering and recreating love after lossWhy love exists far beyond romanceLetting love be exactly what it is right nowIf you’re looking for a place to process these questions in community with others who understand, Lauren’s group program Re-Imagine begins in mid-March. You can learn more and join the interest list at laurenlentz.com under the Re-Imagine tab. However love is showing up for you this month — it belongs.  And so do you. 💛

    16 min
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5
out of 5
28 Ratings

About

The Widow’s Collective is where grief meets hope, healing, and community. Hosted by grief coach and widow, Lauren Lentz, each episode offers tender reflections, real conversations, and practical tools to help you navigate life after loss. Whether you’re in the depths of early grief or learning to reimagine your life in the “after,” you’ll find a gentle space to land here — one that honors your story, your pace, and your humanity.

Information

  • Creator
    Lauren Lentz
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Widow's Collective
  • Show Website
    The Widow's Collective

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