Just a Widow Talk

Since losing her husband to COVID in 2021, Carmen Greenard Varnum is working through her pain by inspiring others. Listen as this author, speaker, and businesswoman speaks of clinging to her faith during this grief journey. "To this day, it's a struggle to get up, to smile, to say I'm going to keep going. Everybody has a storm and this was my storm I had to go through. God will bring you to it but He will also bring you through it. I found my purpose in grief." You can find her books "By His Grace, Here I Am" and "My New Normal: There's Life After Death" on Amazon.

In this episode, Madeline H. of Georgia shares about losing her husband, Keith, to COVID-19. She attributes her strength to her faith. "It's been a hard transition. What helps me is knowing God for myself," she said. "I asked God to keep my mind and my faith."

Listen as eclectic author, producer, gamer and veteran Steve Wollett of PA shares about his wife, Leslie. She died of COVID in early 2020.

Re-married widow Jeanette Koncikowski of Buffalo, New York is currently authoring a grief handbook that she wishes she had when her husband, Dr. Mark Koncikowski, died in 2014. "You've got to be able to own your story and get OK with who you are, what's happened and what you lost."

Widower James DeWald Sr. of Fruitport, MI., lost his wife, Mary Lou, to cancer in 2020. He shares his grief journey and how support groups have become "an outlet of ministry for others, and that's what my wife was about."

Psychologist Dr. Joshua Black of British Columbia shares about his 10 years of research with grief dreams, his Grief Dreams podcast, and his own personal reflections. "Our minds are trying to help us (process the loss)," he said. "We can think of dreams as a best friend because they tell you things that you may not want to talk about, but a best friend can show us a mirror to ourselves when we're off track."

In this episode, Lana, who resides in both Michigan and Illinois, speaks about her husband, Bob. His wit, sense of humor and zest for life fueled their relationship; she also speaks in favor of grief support groups. "Sometimes I feel like I'm helping new people because I know how broken I was."

Taryn, a single mother from South Dakota, lost her fiancee, Rachel, only a couple months after their engagement. She talks candidly of alcoholism and drug addiction, but also of the beauty in their relationship. "I know what the price of love is. The ultimate price is loss."

Phyllicia Bishop of PA talks about life without her husband, Joshua. He was an Army veteran who was working road construction in PA when he was struck and killed. The single mother of 3 young children now wants harsher punishment meted to those who fall asleep at the wheel.

Professor, journalist, and widow Jayme Bradford-Kinard of South Carolina lost her husband, Roland, unexpectedly in December 2020. She says, "The influence he had over my life is unforgettable. He will always be part of me. I want to continue to make him proud."