Show notes
What do you do when the person you love dies suddenly, your prayers seem unanswered, and everyone expects you to “move on”? Connect With Lucy Book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/046M4w5JHealing Journal: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LTPHopeShopWebsite: https://ltphopeauthor.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LTPHopePodcast: When Goodbye Comes Too Early, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio Brave Widow Resources Free, Live “Four Seasons of Grief” Training + Quiz: bravewidow.com/liveRebuild a Life You Can Love Again in the Brave Widow Academy (join the waitlist or book a call): https://bravewidow.com/academyCreate Calm from Chaos and Heal Your Heart inside Brave Widow Foundations:👉 bravewidow.com/foundationsJoin the free Brave Widow Community: https://bravewidow.com/free In this deeply honest episode of The Brave Widow Show, Emily speaks with Lucy, also known by her pen name LTP Hope, about losing her husband, Tim, just four weeks after his diagnosis with stage four T-cell lymphoma. Lucy shares:The shock of receiving a terminal diagnosisWhy she refused to leave the hospital without answersAdvocating fiercely for a loved one in medical careWrestling with God after unanswered prayersThe loneliness of coming home to an empty houseWhy functioning does not always mean you are okayHow therapy, journaling, worship music, and community helped her copeThe painful reality of grief in the second yearHow she transformed her loss into a memoir, podcast, and YouTube channelWhy widows should take their time before making major decisionsPractical reminders for handling finances, legal matters, belongings, and life insurance after a loss Lucy’s message is simple but powerful: you do not have to rush grief, and you do not have to walk through it alone. Chapters00:00 Why this conversation matters 02:00 Lucy’s story and losing Tim 03:00 Receiving the cancer diagnosis 04:00 Fighting for answers and medical advocacy 05:00 Wrestling with God after loss 06:00 Tim’s final morning and the angel at the door 07:00 Coming home to an empty house 08:00 When friends disappear and grief is misunderstood 10:00 Functioning does not mean you are okay 11:00 Journaling, therapy, and learning to breathe again 15:00 Finding courage to share your story publicly 20:00 Practical advice for widows in early grief 24:00 Faith, hope, and surviving the second wave of grief 27:00 Upcoming Brave Widow events and resources 💬 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.