Carolyn Moor: Understanding The Cycle of Grief and How Pain is Part of Love

Carolyn Moor is the founder of Modern Widows Club and also serves as its President and Development Director. After being widowed at age 37 with two young children, Carolyn soon discovered that widowhood assistance and resources were few and far between. So she began advocating for widowhood research and community resources. Carolyn has participated in the UN Commission on the Status of Women and the Global Leadership Summit community and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the Oprah Winfrey Show. She debuted at TEDxOakland in February 2021.

Carolyn joins me today to describe what it’s like to be a young widow and why she started the Modern Widows Club after she struck out when searching for resources to help her when she was bereaved. She discusses the importance of understanding the cycle of grief and how pain is part of love, and why that’s so important to know when talking to women who have lost their husbands. Carolyn also shares how the Modern Widow communities are run, the role of trained widow advocates, the organization's activities, and how they plan to support women via a new online program.

"Widowhood is a hard, hard subject to talk about. But the reality is, is actually, it's a beautiful thing to talk about because these are women who have had fulfilled marriages.” - Carolyn Moor

“Grief is a natural response to love. If you don't love, you don't get the blessing of grieving. So we see grieving as a horrible thing that someone has to go through. But in fact, it's the last part of the loving cycle.” - Carolyn Moor

“Be ready to be present, be ready to listen, and be a blessing in their life. Because that's really all they're asking for, is to have you walk this moment through with them. That's it.” - Carolyn Moor

This week on The Wow Factor:

• The effect of growing up in the church in Arkansas and what that taught her about dignity and integrity
• How a snap decision to change her degree subject marked the beginning of the rest of her life and led to her meeting her husband
• How the business that Carolyn ran with her late husband gave her some of the skills that served her in starting Modern Widows Club
• The moment that she saw her life implode and how she learned to cope with such enormous changes along with her two young daughters
• The loophole in the Family Medical Leave Act that doesn’t take into account the bereaved and why she is advocating for that to change
• What are the seven pillars of a healthy widowhood and how Modern Widows structured their training program to take into account everything their members might face from financial issues to mental health
• The effect of COVID-19 on their community and how they are still supporting their members
• The three most powerful words to say to a widow and why they are so precious for a woman to hear
• Why it is so vital to really hear two people who are grieving to understand what they need and how you can help 

Carolyn Moor’s Words of Wisdom:

We must look at hard things truthfully. The greatest wisdom I can give you is to please look at the truth. Go and speak to widows, find the real answers today, sit down and listen.

Connect with Carolyn Moor:

• Modern Widows Club Website
• Carolyn Moor on LinkedIn
• Modern Widows Club on Facebook
• Modern Widows Club on Instagram
• Modern Widows