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 partner
• Why the nervous system feels unanchored in grief
• The tension between longing and possibility
• Guilt that can arise when you notice strength or curiosity
• What it means to carry love forward while standing on your own

You’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 podcast
• Leave a review
• Share it with another widow who may need these words today

Until next time, big hugs and lots of love. 💛

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 exposure
• The protective role of fear and hesitation
• The loneliness that lingers even when people are around
• The nervous system’s response to attachment after loss
• The quiet power of sitting in spaces where no one flinches at his name
• Why group support can feel both comforting and terrifying

If 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.

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’t
• The unspoken identity shift that comes with becoming a widow
• Cultural expectations that pressure widows to shrink, stay frozen, or “prove” their grief
• How love continues — not by disappearing, but by transforming and integrating
• The complicated terrain of new love: longing, resistance, guilt, and permission
• Expanding the definition of love beyond romance
• Reimagining daily life, traditions, and the ordinary moments
• Holding grief and possibility at the same time — without rushing or forcing growth

This 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.

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 home
• The quiet ways grief impacts identity, capacity, and the nervous system
• What it means to grieve the version of yourself you were — without shame
• Why wanting to go backward doesn’t mean you’re stuck (it means something mattered)
• The difference between coping and truly coming home to yourself
• How identity after loss is revealed slowly, through lived moments — not pressure
• Why this process can’t be rushed, fixed, or forced
• The loneliness of being misunderstood, even when surrounded by people who care
• Gentle, practical ways to begin rebuilding safety, trust, and presence within yourself

Coming 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
[email protected]

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.

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 widowhood
• The difference between being alone and feeling alone
• How grief can feel more intense when the world keeps moving
• Why there is no correct way to do Valentine’s Day after loss
• Gentle, compassionate ways to support yourself through tender days

This 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 grief
• The difference between feeling alone and being alone
• Self-compassion as you navigate everything coming up for you
• How being held in the right kind of community can gently shift the grief experience
• An 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 [email protected]
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. 💛

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 disorienting
• You’ve wondered where your love goes after your partner dies
• You feel pressure to “move on” or quiet your grief
• You’re learning how to live alongside love in a new form

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why love doesn’t end when a life ends
• How grief lives in the body and nervous system
• The myth that healing requires letting go of love
• Rediscovering and recreating love after loss
• Why love exists far beyond romance
• Letting love be exactly what it is right now

If 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. 💛

In this little bonus episode of the support series, Lauren explores how to choose grief support that actually meets you where you are—without pressure, comparison, or urgency.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your options, unsure what kind of support you “should” be seeking, or exhausted by the idea of making yet another decision in grief, this episode is for you.

Lauren shares her own experience of searching for connection after loss, what she learned along the way, and why timing, choice, and self-trust matter more than finding the “perfect” solution.

This episode gently walks through:

• Why support matters in grief—and how it helps regulate the nervous system
• The difference between therapy and grief coaching, and how they can complement each other
• Why self-guided support often feels safest, especially early in grief
• How group support can provide connection, normalization, and community
• When one-to-one support may be helpful for deeper, more personalized care
• What it means when even support feels like too much—and why that’s valid, too

Most importantly, this episode offers permission:

• To move slowly
• To change your mind
• To trust what feels manageable right now
• And to know that not choosing yet is also a choice

You’re not behind.
You’re not doing grief wrong.
And you don’t have to rush your way toward anything.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Through The Fog — a 6-week, self-guided grief companion
• Re-Imagine — a 12-week group grief support experience for widows
• The Sacred Grief Container — 1:1 grief coaching support

Connect with Lauren

Website: laurenlentz.com

Instagram: @imsorrywerefriends

If this episode resonated and you’re curious about what kind of support might feel right for you, Lauren offers free discovery sessions to talk things through—no pressure, just space to explore.

Episode 16: What Do Love Languages and Support Have in Common?

(Or: Why Good Intentions Can Still Miss in Grief)

Grief changes the way support is given, received, and understood. In this episode, we explore why even the most loving, well-intentioned support can still miss the mark—and how mismatched emotional availability, timing, and “support languages” can leave grievers feeling unseen or overwhelmed.

Using the familiar framework of love languages, this conversation gently unpacks the complex dynamics between grievers and their support systems, offering insight for both those grieving and those trying to help.

This episode is not about blame—it’s about awareness, compassion, and learning how to stay present when grief doesn’t follow the rules.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why the relationship between grievers and support systems is more complex than it appears
• How support, like love, has different “languages”
• Why grief often creates a painful mismatch between intention and impact
• Emotional availability—and how grief can expose emotional limits on both sides
• Why some support unintentionally creates more work for the griever
• The invisible weight of misaligned support and how it affects connection
• Gentle accountability for supporters without placing responsibility on the griever
• Small shifts that can make support more receivable, even when things feel uncomfortable

Key Takeaways:

• Support can be offered with love and still miss the mark
• Mismatch isn’t about effort—it’s about capacity, timing, and emotional availability
• Grievers often pull back not because they don’t want connection, but because the cost of receiving support is too high
• Presence matters more than fixing
• Curiosity matters more than certainty
• Small, imperfect gestures can still make a meaningful difference

This Episode Is For:

• Grievers who feel frustrated, misunderstood, or exhausted by support
• Supporters who want to help but feel unsure how to show up
• Anyone navigating the tender space between intention and impact in grief

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Through The Fog — a self-guided grief support program
  Learn more at laurenlentz.com and click on the Through The Fog tab

If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with someone in your support system—if and when that feels safe. Sometimes opening a conversation about how support really works in grief can be healing for both sides.

Thank you for listening.
 Thank you for being here.

In this episode, we’re talking about something that comes up for so many people in grief—especially early on—when others ask, “What do you need?” and your mind goes completely blank.

Not knowing how to answer doesn’t mean you’re doing grief wrong.
 It doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful, closed off, or failing at receiving support.
 Often, it means your nervous system is overloaded and focused on one thing: surviving.

Together, we explore why not knowing what you need is such a common—and normal—part of grief, why support can feel complicated even when it’s well-intentioned, and what support can look like when it needs to be smaller, slower, or different than expected.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why not knowing what you need is common in early grief—and what’s happening emotionally and biologically when your system feels blank or overwhelmed
• Why support isn’t one-size-fits-all, and how mismatched support doesn’t mean anyone failed
• The gap between wanting support and knowing how to receive it
• Why control, distance, or saying “I’m fine” can be protective—not problematic
• What support can look like when it needs to be more contained, lower-pressure, or less demanding
• Why clarity doesn’t come from trying harder, but from feeling safer over time

A gentle reminder from this episode:

• Not knowing what you need does not mean you don’t deserve support
• You are allowed to change what support looks like now
• You don’t need clarity to be worthy of care
• And you don’t need to have it figured out yet

Grief isn’t asking you to manage this well.
 It’s asking you to stay—one moment, one breath at a time.

Looking for additional support?

If you’re navigating early grief and want gentle structure, guidance, and validation at your own pace, my self-guided program Through The Fog opens this coming Monday.

You can learn more and join the waitlist at laurenlentz.com under the Through The Fog tab.

Thank you for being here.
 Thank you for listening.
 And thank you for continuing—even in the not-knowing.

Episode 14 — Living in the Fog

Early grief often doesn’t arrive with sharp edges or clear emotions.
 Instead, it shows up as fog — disorientation, slowness, numbness, and a sense of moving through life slightly out of reach.

In this episode, Lauren explores what it means to live inside the fog of grief — why it happens, how it affects daily life, and how to meet yourself with more understanding and less pressure during this tender season.

You’ll hear about:

• What “the fog” of grief actually feels like — mentally, emotionally, and physically
• Why fog, numbness, and disorientation are protective responses, not signs of failure
• How daily tasks can feel overwhelming in early grief (and how to soften expectations)
• The emotional waves and contrasts that often arise unexpectedly
• Gentle curiosity as a way to stay present without forcing clarity or healing
• Small, grounding micro-actions that help you feel steadier inside the haze

Lauren also introduces Through the Fog, a gentle, self-guided companion created for early grief — and for anyone who still feels unsteady, disconnected, or unsure of their footing after loss. The course includes short videos, small workbooks, grounding practices, and emotional language designed to support you without pressure to “move on” or perform your grief.

Interested in Through the Fog?

You can add yourself to the waitlist in one of two ways:

• Visit www.laurenlentz.com
  and click the Through the Fog tab - where you will find the "Join The Waitlist" button
• Or send Lauren a DM on Instagram @imsorrywerefriends with your email and a note that you’d like to be added

The course isn’t available yet (real soon), but joining the waitlist ensures you’ll be notified when it’s ready.

If you’re feeling foggy, slow, or not quite yourself — this episode is a reminder that you’re not broken. You’re adjusting. And you don’t have to do that alone.