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.

Episode 16: What Do Love Languages and Support Have in Common?

(Or: Why Good Intentions Can Still Miss in Grief)

Grief changes the way support is given, received, and understood. In this episode, we explore why even the most loving, well-intentioned support can still miss the mark—and how mismatched emotional availability, timing, and “support languages” can leave grievers feeling unseen or overwhelmed.

Using the familiar framework of love languages, this conversation gently unpacks the complex dynamics between grievers and their support systems, offering insight for both those grieving and those trying to help.

This episode is not about blame—it’s about awareness, compassion, and learning how to stay present when grief doesn’t follow the rules.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why the relationship between grievers and support systems is more complex than it appears
• How support, like love, has different “languages”
• Why grief often creates a painful mismatch between intention and impact
• Emotional availability—and how grief can expose emotional limits on both sides
• Why some support unintentionally creates more work for the griever
• The invisible weight of misaligned support and how it affects connection
• Gentle accountability for supporters without placing responsibility on the griever
• Small shifts that can make support more receivable, even when things feel uncomfortable

Key Takeaways:

• Support can be offered with love and still miss the mark
• Mismatch isn’t about effort—it’s about capacity, timing, and emotional availability
• Grievers often pull back not because they don’t want connection, but because the cost of receiving support is too high
• Presence matters more than fixing
• Curiosity matters more than certainty
• Small, imperfect gestures can still make a meaningful difference

This Episode Is For:

• Grievers who feel frustrated, misunderstood, or exhausted by support
• Supporters who want to help but feel unsure how to show up
• Anyone navigating the tender space between intention and impact in grief

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Through The Fog — a self-guided grief support program
  Learn more at laurenlentz.com and click on the Through The Fog tab

If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with someone in your support system—if and when that feels safe. Sometimes opening a conversation about how support really works in grief can be healing for both sides.

Thank you for listening.
Thank you for being here.

In this episode, we’re talking about something that comes up for so many people in grief—especially early on—when others ask, “What do you need?” and your mind goes completely blank.

Not knowing how to answer doesn’t mean you’re doing grief wrong.
It doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful, closed off, or failing at receiving support.
Often, it means your nervous system is overloaded and focused on one thing: surviving.

Together, we explore why not knowing what you need is such a common—and normal—part of grief, why support can feel complicated even when it’s well-intentioned, and what support can look like when it needs to be smaller, slower, or different than expected.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why not knowing what you need is common in early grief—and what’s happening emotionally and biologically when your system feels blank or overwhelmed
• Why support isn’t one-size-fits-all, and how mismatched support doesn’t mean anyone failed
• The gap between wanting support and knowing how to receive it
• Why control, distance, or saying “I’m fine” can be protective—not problematic
• What support can look like when it needs to be more contained, lower-pressure, or less demanding
• Why clarity doesn’t come from trying harder, but from feeling safer over time

A gentle reminder from this episode:

• Not knowing what you need does not mean you don’t deserve support
• You are allowed to change what support looks like now
• You don’t need clarity to be worthy of care
• And you don’t need to have it figured out yet

Grief isn’t asking you to manage this well.
It’s asking you to stay—one moment, one breath at a time.

Looking for additional support?

If you’re navigating early grief and want gentle structure, guidance, and validation at your own pace, my self-guided program Through The Fog opens this coming Monday.

You can learn more and join the waitlist at laurenlentz.com under the Through The Fog tab.

Thank you for being here.
Thank you for listening.
And thank you for continuing—even in the not-knowing.

Episode 14 — Living in the Fog

Early grief often doesn’t arrive with sharp edges or clear emotions.
Instead, it shows up as fog — disorientation, slowness, numbness, and a sense of moving through life slightly out of reach.

In this episode, Lauren explores what it means to live inside the fog of grief — why it happens, how it affects daily life, and how to meet yourself with more understanding and less pressure during this tender season.

You’ll hear about:

• What “the fog” of grief actually feels like — mentally, emotionally, and physically
• Why fog, numbness, and disorientation are protective responses, not signs of failure
• How daily tasks can feel overwhelming in early grief (and how to soften expectations)
• The emotional waves and contrasts that often arise unexpectedly
• Gentle curiosity as a way to stay present without forcing clarity or healing
• Small, grounding micro-actions that help you feel steadier inside the haze

Lauren also introduces Through the Fog, a gentle, self-guided companion created for early grief — and for anyone who still feels unsteady, disconnected, or unsure of their footing after loss. The course includes short videos, small workbooks, grounding practices, and emotional language designed to support you without pressure to “move on” or perform your grief.

Interested in Through the Fog?

You can add yourself to the waitlist in one of two ways:

• Visit www.laurenlentz.com
  and click the Through the Fog tab - where you will find the "Join The Waitlist" button
• Or send Lauren a DM on Instagram @imsorrywerefriends with your email and a note that you’d like to be added

The course isn’t available yet (real soon), but joining the waitlist ensures you’ll be notified when it’s ready.

If you’re feeling foggy, slow, or not quite yourself — this episode is a reminder that you’re not broken. You’re adjusting. And you don’t have to do that alone.

Episode 13: The Days That Bring You to Your Knees

In this episode, we talk about shock, sudden loss, grief waves, and the ways grief can show up unexpectedly in the body.

Gentle note for listeners:
Some of what’s shared here may feel activating or tender. You’re invited to listen at your own pace. Pausing, stepping away, skipping sections, or coming back another day is always okay. You don’t need to push through anything here. Your body gets to lead.

This episode explores:

• What shock actually feels like after loss
• Why grief doesn’t come all at once—and why waves are normal
• How triggers can show up suddenly and physically
• Why being “brought to your knees” isn’t failure, but a human response to love and loss
• Reframing strength when this life wasn’t chosen

If you’re in the early days of grief—or finding yourself knocked down by moments you didn’t see coming—I created Through The Fog, a 6-week self-guided program designed to offer steadiness and support when everything feels disorienting and heavy. There’s no rush and no expectation of progress—just a reminder that you don’t have to do this alone.
Available the last week of January.

Thank you for being here. I’m really glad you found your way to this space.

Explore my website for offerings like 1:1 and group grief support, and a glimpse into Through The Fog. Www.laurenlentz.com

Follow me on Instagram for more resources, insights, and community support at @imsorrywerefriends

Episode 12: New Year’s Resolutions — When You’re Just Trying to Survive

When “fresh starts” miss the mark in grief

January often arrives with pressure — to improve, reset, optimize, and become a “better” version of yourself. But when you’re grieving, that language can feel disconnected, overwhelming, or even cruel.

In this episode, I share why traditional New Year’s resolutions often don’t fit when you’re in survival mode — and why that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.

Drawing from my own first New Year after losing Kevin, we explore how grief narrows capacity, shifts priorities, and asks something very different of us than transformation or self-improvement.

This episode is for you if:

• You’re moving into the New Year feeling heavy instead of hopeful
• Resolutions feel impossible or out of sync right now
• You’re tired of being asked to “push through”
• You’re just trying to survive — day by day, moment by moment

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why resolution culture doesn’t align with grief
• How survival is not failure — it’s the work
• Why healing doesn’t come through restriction or discipline
• Letting go of “new year, new you” pressure
• Choosing gentler intentions, boundaries, and permissions
• Meeting yourself exactly where you are

You don’t need to become someone new.
You don’t need to make big promises.
And you don’t need to take anything away from yourself to prove you’re healing.

If all you can do right now is survive — that is more than enough.

Connect with Me

You can find me on Instagram at @imsorrywerefriends
or learn more about my work at www.laurenlentz.com

If this episode resonated, I’d love it if you shared it with someone who may need permission to move slowly this season.