Mari Marquez Reflects on Widowed Parenting

I had such a great discussion with Mari Marquez for this episode. It was so much fun talking to Mari twice over the course of a few days – once for her show, and once for mine. It really was lovely to connect with her and hear all about her experiences, and also her blog, podcast, and children’s book, all of which bring badly-needed resources to widowed parents. And, importantly, she was very honest in our discussion about how very hard it was for her right after her husband died, and how much she struggled. This can be a real issue, and I’m grateful Mari was willing to talk about it.

Some topics Mari and I discuss include:

• Losing her husband, Alex, in a terrible burn accident when their daughter was just 13 months old;

• Feeling lost in the following months, and almost ending her own life;

• Realizing that she needed to seek support;

• Wondering how she would explain to her baby that her dad had died;

• Finding resources from the National Alliance for Children’s Grief;

• Starting her blog, embracingwidowhood.com, in order to help other young widows find resources;

• Her thoughts on the difference between solo parenting and single parenting;

• Learning that she can’t ignore her daughter’s grief, even though sometimes people think it won’t  affect her because she is so young; and

• Why she wrote a children’s picture book about grief.

I hope you enjoy my discussion with Mari Marquez.

Links & resources for this episode

• Mari’s Embracing Widowhood Podcast & Blog

• The Magical Soul, by Marisela Marquez

• El Alma Magica (Spanish Edition), by Marisela Marquez

• National Alliance for Children’s Grief - website & find support groups

• Modern Widows Club

• Soaring Spirits

• Judi’s House (Denver)

More links for listeners

• Download: Kids & Grief: What You Need to Know

• Article: I’m a Widowed Mom: Here Are My 3 Tips for COVID-19 Widows

• Book: Widowed Parents Unite: 52 Tips to Get Through the First Year, from One Widowed Parent to Another

Thank you sponsors & partners:

Help Texts - Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support delivered all year long, personalized based on your loss. Listeners get $10 off: https://helptexts.com/jennylisk

BetterHelp - Talk with a licensed, professional therapist online. Get 10% off your first month: betterhelp.com/widowedparent

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