In an instant, Leslie went from sharing every aspect of life with her husband Ryan to feeling like half a person. Leslie, Ryan, their two young children, and their extended family were on vacation in California when Ryan told Leslie that something didn't feel right. He was rushed to the hospital where he died of a stroke and an aneurysym, leaving Leslie to figure out how to live their life without him. The people Leslie most wanted to talk to in her grief were other widows. This inspired her to start\xa0Vids for Wids - a project to capture the stories of widows in the hopes of helping others feel less alone.\xa0
We discuss:
How Leslie and Ryan met as co-workers\xa0
The day Ryan died while they were on vacation\xa0
Suddenly feeling like half a person without Ryan\xa0
Telling her very young children about his death\xa0
The early days and weeks of widowhood\xa0
How her kids\u2019 grief is changing over time\xa0
The power of talking to other widows\xa0
What Leslie learned about grief from Ryan\xa0
Dating and becoming a remarried widow\xa0
Leslie\u2019s Vids for Wids project to support other widows\xa0