Alexandra Wyman and her husband Shawn had a bit of a whirlwind life. They got married in 2018, had their son in 2019, and then in 2020 Shawn died of suicide. His death created a different type of whirlwind. The kind where Alexandra had to rebuild her life as a solo parent dealing with the intense swirl of guilt, sadness, anger, and confusion. As the shock wore off, Alexandra started to write down what she was going through and learning along the way. This led to her new book, The Suicide Club - What To Do When Someone You Love Chooses Death, and her podcast, The Widow's Club. 

We discuss:

• Who Alexandra is in addition to her grief
• How Shawn lived as a husband and father
• The day Alexandra got the news of his death
• The early days of grief
• The importance of daily rituals and routines
• Working on the intense guilt and self-doubt she felt in grief
• Figuring out how to set boundaries
• Having her marriage be under the microscope
• Learning to be a solo parent
• How she talks to her son about Shawn's death
• Finding the support of other widows who are grieving a death by suicide
• Grief tantrums - as an adult

Alexandra's website - Forward to Joy

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for support. You can call the National LifeLine at 988 or text HELLO to 741741.

This was supposed to be an episode about going back to work with grief, but it's not. Emily did have to navigate going back to work after her partner Chantel was killed in a hit and run, but this conversation ended up being about love. And loss. And the magical powers of caring for a dog named Indie. It's also about bringing the love you had with a partner who died into a new relationship and what it's like to grow that love with someone else. 

We discuss