Living Fully Again: One Widowās Journey of Healing and Growth
What does living fully again really look like after loss?
This week, Iām joined by someone really special. Lynne Atkin MBE is part of our community, and from the start, I was genuinely amazed by how she was navigating her grief. Not long after the first year of her widowhood, Lynne was making remarkable progress, showing up with strength, clarity and real purpose. And I remember thinking, how is she doing that?
Over time, I saw it wasnāt a fluke. Lynne kept showing up. She kept leaning into the process and doing the work, with such openness and intention. And sheās built something powerful: a life that holds both her love for Michael and her hope for what comes next.
In this conversation, Lynne shares what helped her move through the early pain and start building something new. Itās a reminder that healing doesnāt mean forgetting. It means learning how to live fully again.
In this episode, we talk about:
Rebuilding identity after a long marriage
What helped Lynne feel safe in her grief
Making peace with guilt and giving yourself permission to live
Creating a vision for your future when everything has changed
How community and coaching helped her move forward
Whether youāre newly widowed or further along, this is a powerful story of resilience, growth and hope. Itās one I know will stay with you.
Resources and links:
Join the Widow Membership: karensutton.co.uk/the-widow-membership
Explore retreats and coaching: karensutton.co.uk
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1:04:49
Life After Loss: How Three Widows Rebuilt with Strength, Love, and Hope
In this special episode of The Widow Podcast, Iām sharing something really close to my heart.
Earlier this year, I invited three amazing women, Nikki, Becky and Wendy, into the Remember community to share their stories. Stories of love, of loss, of navigating life after the unthinkable. They spoke with such honesty and vulnerability, and it was one of the most powerful sessions weāve had. I knew straight away I wanted more people to hear it.
What I love about this conversation is how different each of their experiences have been. It show us how thereās no right way to grieve, and hearing those contrasts side by side really brings that home.
They talk about what helped, what didnāt, the pain of parenting through grief, the shifts in friendships, the moments that caught them off guard, and the ways theyāre slowly creating a new version of life.
In this episode, we explore:
ā¢ The very real, very messy early days of widowhood
ā¢ How grief affects identity and friendships
ā¢ The fear of forgetting and the ways we stay connected
ā¢ The little things that help, and the things that really donāt
ā¢ What it looks like to build a life around your loss
ā¢ Giving yourself permission to feel joy, without guilt
Resources and Links
Join the Widows Membership: karensutton.co.uk/the-widow-membership
Explore my retreats and coaching: karensutton.co.uk
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From Widowhood to Vibrant Living: A New Season Begins
How Iāve Found Peace, Purpose and Possibility After Loss ā And How You Can Too
Welcome back to Season Four of The Widow Podcast. It feels really good to be back.
Nearly nine years since Simon died, Iāve been reflecting on everything thatās changed, not just in my own life, but in the way I support other widows. Over the past year, Iāve gone through some huge shifts. I trained as a Master Intuitive Psychology Coach, ran retreats here in the UK and in the US, and launched a new programme called Vibrant Living, which is all about what comes next.
This episode is a bit of a catch-up, but also a conversation about growth. The kind that happens quietly, over time, as we keep showing up for ourselves. Iāll talk honestly about where Iāve been, how Iāve changed, and what Iāve learned about creating a life that feels full again, not in spite of the grief, but alongside it.
In this episode, I share:
Whatās changed for me since the last season
How I think about grief now, and what peace looks like
The power of community when youāre rebuilding after loss
What led me to retrain and deepen the work I do
Why I created Vibrant Living for widows ready for something more
Resources and Links
Join the Widows Membership: karensutton.co.uk/the-widow-membership
Explore my retreats and coaching: karensutton.co.uk
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42:36
Writing New Chapters with Stacey Macdonald
In this week's episode I speak to an incredibly honest and inspiring lady, Stacey Macdonald. Staceyās husband Chris died suddenly in December 2013 from a heart attack when their daughter was only 12 years old.
Stacey shares her journey of loss and how she navigated her way through her grief in her own unique way, a way in which we could all learn a lot from.
We discuss;
How Stacey and her daughter dealt with that first Christmas
The coping strategies Stacey used in her grief
The pivotal moment Stacey realised she had to make some changes
Supporting Children through their grief
Navigating new relationships
Deciding to live again after loss
The importance of leaning into your own intuition
Worrying about other people's judgements and assumptions
Guilt
Finding joy in today and writing the new chapters in our books with love and peace in our hearts
This really is such a wonderful conversation and I know youāll be able to draw so much from this.
We got unexpectedly cut off at the end (the joys of living on a small island), so there is an abrupt finish to the conversation. We contemplated arranging another time to record an ending but I actually felt that Staceyās final words of wisdom were so beautiful, it felt like the perfect end to a wonderful conversation, so we left it as it was.
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58:05
Writing New Chapters With Stacey Macdonald
Writing New Chapters with Stacey Macdonald
In this week's episode I speak to an incredibly honest and inspiring lady, Stacey Macdonald. Staceyās husband Chris died suddenly in December 2013 from a heart attack when their daughter was only 12 years old.
Stacey shares her journey of loss and how she navigated her way through her grief in her own unique way, a way in which we could all learn a lot from.
We discuss;
How Stacey and her daughter dealt with that first Christmas
The coping strategies Stacey used in her grief
The pivotal moment Stacey realised she had to make some changes
Supporting Children through their grief
Navigating new relationships
Deciding to live again after loss
The importance of leaning into your own intuition
Worrying about other people's judgements and assumptions
Guilt
Finding joy in today and writing the new chapters in our books with love and peace in our hearts
This really is such a wonderful conversation and I know youāll be able to draw so much from this.
We got unexpectedly cut off at the end (the joys of living on a small island), so there is an abrupt finish to the conversation. We contemplated arranging another time to record an ending but I actually felt that Staceys final words of wisdom were so beautiful, it felt like the perfect end to a wonderful conversation, so we left it at is was.
The Widow Podcast is for people experiencing the loss of a life partner, who are looking for hope and support whilst navigating their way through this traumatic life event. If you're feeling stressed, anxious, confused, as if you're just existing day by day or you've felt isolated, disconnected and lonely in widowhood and want to find ways to manage your grief more positively, this podcast is for you.
Hosted by Karen Sutton, The Widow Coach, widow and mum. She'll share the emotional and practical ways to come through the trauma and take steps to begin to thrive. This is the show for you to learn how to accept your emotions, gain a sense of hope and give yourself permission to create a life of peace and balance. You'll discover coping strategies and personal development tools that take you from those dark places to much brighter days. We understand your grieving process and the pressures of bereavement here at The Widow Podcast.
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