We are so honored to welcome Joan Vassos — Golden Bachelorette — to our Healthy Widow Healthy Woman podcast with hostess Carolyn Moor.

Joan's journey captured the hearts of millions, not just because of the search for love, but because of the grace, courage, and authenticity she brought to it as a wister® (widow + sister).

She's living proof that love does not have an expiration date and that widowhood is not the end of a story — it is, for so many of us, the beginning of a new and unexpected chapter of life.

We are diving into one of the most asked-about topics in our Modern Widows Club® community: how love lives on in widowhood, what it means to open your heart again, and how to navigate that journey on your own terms. 💛

From navigating dating and intimacy to honoring your spouse's legacy while opening your heart again — we explore it all. We talk honestly about the myths and realities of romantic relationships after loss, how your personal priorities shift as you grow, and how to communicate those changes with confidence to the people in your life.

+ Follow Joan Vassos on Instagram and watch her HGTV special "Bachelor Mansion Take-Over".

Invitation: To continue this conversation with others, join our Modern Widows Club Relationship Building and Dating Virtual Community .

Learn more about Modern Widows Club® The Movement for Widow Care (MWC) on IG, FB, Linkedin, Widow Life® Publication on Substack.

Our HWHW special guest is Dr. Mari Marquez, a personal growth educator who specializes in personal development and post-traumatic growth following the loss of loved ones. She is an international selling children's book author and holds a Ph.D. in psychology. Through her work, Dr. Mari offers research-backed tools for adaptation and personal growth in both English and Spanish through her workshops, resources, and her "Growth After Loss" podcast.

She serves as a facilitator for the Resilient Parenting Program through Arizona State University. Additionally, she co-leads a Spanish-speaking support group with the Modern Widows Club. Dr. Mari has received specialized training in post-traumatic growth, grief support, and prolonged grief disorder. She has had the honor of supporting many affected by traumatic losses in navigating their grief.

She was a featured speaker at our Modern Widows Club 2022 Widow Empowerment Event in Scottsdale, AZ. Since then, she has been paving a way towards more empowering widow research.

Find Dr. Mari Marquez at https://drmarimarquez.com Instagram, Facebook & YouTube @drmarimarquez

Find Modern Widows Club® The Movement for Widow Care (MWC) on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin and Widow Life® at Substack.

NEW EPISODE 🎙️Healthy Widow Healthy Woman Podcast hosted by Carolyn Moor, Founder of Modern Widows Club | The Movement for Widow Care®(MWC)

What happens when a pastor who advised presidents sits down with a widow advocate? A conversation that bridges faith, social justice, and the urgent need for widow care in America.

Dr. Joel Hunter lost his WWII veteran father at 4, watched his mother navigate widowhood, and later experienced profound losses including his young granddaughter and son. These experiences shaped his 55-year ministry—and now he's bringing that wisdom to widow care awareness.

In this conversation, we explore:

+ How Dr. Joel Hunter's own losses informed how he approached ministry life

+ Dr. Joel Hunter explains: "Every time somebody vows to treat all people with respect, that's gonna include some widows. And every time a widow goes from grieving to growing, that benefits our entire community."

+ The power of presence and✨ stories of comfort when he needed grief care - the men who stepped up-- Pastor Rick Warren and former President Barack Obama, whom he was spiritual advisor for 8 years.

+ Champions within congregations create movements. "When we protect vulnerable communities, everyone wins." - Dr. Joel Hunter

+ How the Central Florida Pledge connects and expands on The Movement for Widow Care® advocacy to increase widow support in our communities ✨ What can we learn from MWC?

+ Creating inclusive communities of care needs to include widows, who are notoriously marginalized, vulnerable and in need invisibly in ways we don't anticipate

With his own losses, he says "I don't remember anything anybody said, but I remember the hugs." - words that changed Dr. Hunter's ministry.

"If you start sowing exclusion, you're gonna reap division. But if you love everybody in the way they need to be loved, that's what the world becomes." - Dr. Joel Hunter

CONNECT WITH DR. JOEL HUNTER: Chairman, Central Florida Pledge; Pastor of Community Benefit, Action Church

CONNECT WITH CAROLYN MOOR: Founder, Modern Widows Club | The Movement for Widow Care Instagram: @modernwidowsclub Website: modernwidowsclub.org