Show notes
If you’ve ever wondered what life might look like 10 years after losing your spouse, this conversation will feel like a deep breath. Connect with Dori Ann DupréInstagram: @Author.DoriAnnDupreFacebook: @AuthorDoriAnnDupreWebsite: https://dorianndupre.wixsite.com/books Brave Widow Resources Free, Live “Four Seasons of Grief” Training + Quiz: bravewidow.com/liveHeld in Hope Conference (Oct 8–9, Jenks, OK): https://www.standinthegap.org/heldinhope/Brave Widow Academy (join the waitlist or book a call): https://bravewidow.com/academyJoin Brave Widow Foundations (gentle, faith‑based support for the first seasons of grief):👉 bravewidow.com/foundationsJoin the free Brave Widow Community: https://bravewidow.com/free In this episode, Emily talks with author and widow Dori Ann Dupré about growing up in a family of widows, losing her husband to colon cancer, raising daughters without their dad, and turning generational grief into legacy through her new novel “Widows and Children” and an upcoming children’s book about a grandfather her granddaughter never met. You’ll hear how writing became “medicine,” why grief feels like a heavy backpack you learn to carry, and the small, sacred ways we can keep our person’s memory alive for future generations. In this episode:What it’s like to be widowed in a line of widowsLoving and losing Eric: husband, dad, stepdad, West Point gradWriting her first two novels while caregiving through cancerHow her daughter lost both her dad and first love in the same yearThe inspiration behind Widows and ChildrenThe “grief backpack” analogy and why you’re not going backwardsPractical ways to weave your person into your kids’ and grandkids’ livesHope from 10 years out: what gets lighter, what still hurts, and what’s possible Chapters00:00 – When your widow story spans generations 02:38 – Meeting Eric: love, integrity & young-onset colon cancer 06:25 – Keeping “Pop” alive for a granddaughter he never met 08:10 – Writing through cancer and finishing a book before he died 12:40 – Stepdads who stand in the gap (and the story behind Good Buddy) 15:05 – The “widow curse” in one family & the new novel Widows and Children 18:45 – Double loss: her daughter’s first love and her dad in the same year 21:40 – What widows recognize in each other across a room 22:55 – The grief backpack: learning to carry a weight that never fully leaves 24:35 – Hope for new widows + how to connect with Dori 💬 If this episode helped you, please: Hit Subscribe Leave a quick rating & review – it helps more widows find this supportShare this with a friend who’s facing grief or the holidays without their person If you’re new here, my name is Emily Tanner. I’m the founder of Brave Widow and Brave Widow Academy. I help widows move from barely surviving their loss… to rebuilding a life they can actually love again without feeling like they’re betraying their person. By day (and for 20+ years), I’ve led large teams and complex operations in the corporate world. After my husband Nathan died in 2021, just shy of our 20-year anniversary, I took everything I knew about leadership, systems, and change — and started applying it to grief. Since then, I’ve:Shared my story publicly to make widows feel less alone.Launched the Brave Widow podcast, now with 180+ episodes and listeners around the world.Coached hundreds of widows Built Brave Widow Academy, a 6-month coaching program with a clear framework for moving from deep grief to rebuilding a life you can love again. I don’t teach “just think positive” grief tips. I teach widows how to:Heal their heart.Stop waiting on “time” to fix everything.Take small, brave steps toward a life that feels meaningful again. How I Got Here… 2021: My husband Nathan dies unexpectedly. I’m 4 kids in, overwhelmed, and drowning in paperwork, decisions, and pain. Therapy helps, but I still feel stuck with no roadmap. 2021–2022: I start devouring books, interviewing widows, trying grief groups, and studying coaching — desperate to find something that actually helps me feel different. 2022: I start the Brave Widow podcast, recording episodes while terrified and crying between takes — but determined that no widow should feel as alone as I did. Year 1: I begin coaching widows Year 2: I launch Brave Widow Academy — a structured, 6-month coaching program with a step-by-step path: from deep grief, to stability, to rebuilding. Year 3: Brave Widow has listeners around the world. I’ve personally coached hundreds of widows and spoken with thousands more through consults, lives, emails, and DMs. Today: My work is simple: Help widows stop surviving each day… and start rebuilding a life that makes them genuinely glad to be alive again.