Valentine’s Day can land very differently in widowhood — whether it once meant everything, or barely registered at all.

In this episode, I’m sitting with the tenderness of love-centered days after loss. We talk about why days like Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, and weddings can quietly magnify grief, how love continues to live in the body even after death, and why there is no “right” way to move through these moments.

I also share my own experience of the first Valentine’s Day after Kevin died — what I needed, what surprised me, and what it taught me about permission, presence, and listening to ourselves in grief.

Inside this episode, we explore:

• Why love-centered days often feel heavier in widowhood
• The difference between being alone and feeling alone
• How grief can feel more intense when the world keeps moving
• Why there is no correct way to do Valentine’s Day after loss
• Gentle, compassionate ways to support yourself through tender days

This episode is an invitation to soften expectations, release performance, and honor whatever it takes for you to get through the day.

Free Workshop: Loneliness, Grief, & Being Held in Community

If this episode resonated and you’re longing for a space where you don’t have to explain your grief, I’d love to invite you to my free workshop on February 25th.

We’ll talk about:

• Why loneliness often feels amplified inside of grief
• The difference between feeling alone and being alone
• Self-compassion as you navigate everything coming up for you
• How being held in the right kind of community can gently shift the grief experience
• An introduction to my 12-week group grief support program for widows, Re-Imagine (beginning mid-March)

🗓 February 25th
🕓 4:00 PM PST
🔗 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83653452564

You can also find the registration link in my Instagram bio, or reach out directly at lauren@imsorrywerefriends.com
and I’ll share it with you personally.

Thank you for being here, and for letting me sit with you in this tender space.
Take gentle care of yourself. 💛

February can bring up complicated emotions for widows — especially as love is publicly framed through romance, couple-hood, and celebration. In this episode, Lauren offers a spacious, honest conversation about the kind of love that doesn’t disappear after loss — the love that remains, changes shape, and continues to live in the body, memory, and nervous system.

Together, we explore how grief is not only pain, but love with nowhere obvious to go — and how moving forward doesn’t require letting go of love, but learning how to walk with it differently.

This episode is for you if:

• Valentine’s Day feels heavy, hollow, or disorienting
• You’ve wondered where your love goes after your partner dies
• You feel pressure to “move on” or quiet your grief
• You’re learning how to live alongside love in a new form

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why love doesn’t end when a life ends
• How grief lives in the body and nervous system
• The myth that healing requires letting go of love
• Rediscovering and recreating love after loss
• Why love exists far beyond romance
• Letting love be exactly what it is right now

If you’re looking for a place to process these questions in community with others who understand, Lauren’s group program Re-Imagine begins in mid-March.
You can learn more and join the interest list at laurenlentz.com under the Re-Imagine tab.

However love is showing up for you this month — it belongs.
And so do you. 💛

In this little bonus episode of the support series, Lauren explores how to choose grief support that actually meets you where you are—without pressure, comparison, or urgency.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your options, unsure what kind of support you “should” be seeking, or exhausted by the idea of making yet another decision in grief, this episode is for you.

Lauren shares her own experience of searching for connection after loss, what she learned along the way, and why timing, choice, and self-trust matter more than finding the “perfect” solution.

This episode gently walks through:

• Why support matters in grief—and how it helps regulate the nervous system
• The difference between therapy and grief coaching, and how they can complement each other
• Why self-guided support often feels safest, especially early in grief
• How group support can provide connection, normalization, and community
• When one-to-one support may be helpful for deeper, more personalized care
• What it means when even support feels like too much—and why that’s valid, too

Most importantly, this episode offers permission:

• To move slowly
• To change your mind
• To trust what feels manageable right now
• And to know that not choosing yet is also a choice

You’re not behind.
You’re not doing grief wrong.
And you don’t have to rush your way toward anything.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Through The Fog — a 6-week, self-guided grief companion
• Re-Imagine — a 12-week group grief support experience for widows
• The Sacred Grief Container — 1:1 grief coaching support

Connect with Lauren

Website: laurenlentz.com

Instagram: @imsorrywerefriends

If this episode resonated and you’re curious about what kind of support might feel right for you, Lauren offers free discovery sessions to talk things through—no pressure, just space to explore.