Widow 180 The Podcast with Jen Zwinck
When you become a widow, the heartache can be overwhelming. You feel lost. You feel broken. You feel alone. And you find yourself trying to pick up the pieces of your life and function. But I believe that every widow has the capacity to endure, that every widow has the power to overcome and the determination to create a new life filled with meaning and purpose. The Widow 180 Podcast is about turning tragedy, loss and fear into strength and creativity and a new passion for life. It's about self-reflection and realizing that we only have this one precious life to live and that a new life and a new you is achievable.Each week I will be interviewing widows, incredible survivors of loss. These women have taken the lessons they've learned and the insights they've gained and used them to grow and transform themselves. Some have started businesses, went back to school, run marathons, lost 100 pounds, and moved across the world! They made a choice not to be held down.How did they do it? How did they get through their grief? What's their secret? What lessons can we learn from them that will transform our own lives? How can we write our own story because our story isn't over yet? How can we begin our Chapter 2? I hope that you are as inspired by these women as I am. And maybe hearing even just one story will be life-changing for you.
Widow 180 The Podcast with Jen Zwinck
257. And She Got Up! - Transforming Widowhood Into Purpose, Hope, and Healing! (Part 1) Interview With Courtney Pray Duke
Join us today for Part 1 of this heartfelt episode of Widow 180 as I sit down with guest Courtney Pray Duke for an incredibly raw and honest conversation about sudden loss, the journey through early widowhood, and finding faith in the darkest moments.
Episode Highlights:
- Becoming a widow at just 29, Courtney was left to raise their kids alone.
- What the immediate aftermath of loss feels like. How "there's no way to plan for" that moment.
- Facing birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas just weeks after Andrew's death. Courtney remembers her friend posting a note that read "just today" as a reminder to survive moment by moment.
- The struggle of parenting through personal heartbreak shines through: “Not only is your heart broken, but it’s broken for your children on a whole other level. And that is probably the worst pain in the world.”
Key Takeaways:
- The trauma of sudden loss creates a world that is both foreign and disorienting—there is no preparation, no handbook, and few words of comfort in those first hours and days.
- Honest conversations about how to talk to children about tragedy, and the unique pain of not being able to protect or fix their heartbreak, are central to the episode.
- Gratitude for the community, even in chaos.
Tune into these first 35 minutes of our interview for a touching, authentic look at grief, faith, and the power of vulnerability during life’s hardest seasons. This episode is filled with wisdom, empathy, and hope for anyone walking through loss or supporting someone who is.
To be a guest on the podcast, email me! jen@widow180.com
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Questions? Email me at jen@widow180.com