What if you had an owner’s manual for yourself? What would it have said before widowhood, and what would it say now?

Mel puts Anita in the hot seat and asks her to imagine her personal owner’s manual — how she operated, what she needed, what people should know about her, and what changed after her husband died.

From there, the questions keep coming. Some are thoughtful, some are ridiculous, and some reveal things you probably wouldn’t think to ask until someone actually does.

This is a lighthearted conversation about knowing yourself, changing after loss, and realizing that the instructions you used to live by may now be totally different.

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Anita and Mel go back to Episode 13, “Meat Me Where I Ham,” recorded when Mel was two years into widowhood and Anita was one year in.

Now, Mel is almost nine years into widowhood and Anita is coming up on eight. They listen to that early conversation and reflect on what has changed, what hasn’t, and how their perspectives on widowhood have evolved over the years.

They also talk about the concept of the messy middle — that stretch after the immediate aftermath when you’re expected to be moving forward, but you’re still figuring out what your life is supposed to look like now.

Sponsored by:

BetterHelp.com. Save 10% off the first month of online therapy done securely, online with our unique link: https://trybetterhelp.com/wwdn

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The Widow Complaint Department is officially open.

In this episode, Anita and Mel read listener submissions about the things that make widowhood harder, weirder, more annoying, and occasionally downright ridiculous. From clueless comments and unsolicited advice to people who just don’t know what to say to a widow, nothing is too petty, too silly, or too absurd for the complaint department.

Got a widow complaint? Send it in. Anita and Mel are taking submissions.

Sponsored by:

BetterHelp.com. Save 10% off the first month of online therapy done securely, online with our unique link: https://trybetterhelp.com/wwdn

Mint Mobile: Mobile phone plans with great service and coverage starting at $15/month https://trymintmobile.com/wwdn

Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes and more!
http://www.patreon.com/wwdn

Support the show