Reinvention in Widowhood: Writing Your Own Story After Loss
In this episode of The Widow Podcast, I’m joined by the wonderful Kerry Baggott as she shares her powerful story of love, loss, and finding herself again.
Kerry met her husband Jeremy as a teenager, and together they built a beautiful life in Dubai with their two daughters. When Jeremy was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in his late forties, everything changed. They returned to the UK, navigated treatment and remission, and cherished precious time together, until Jeremy died peacefully at home, surrounded by love and light.
But Kerry’s journey didn’t end there. Alongside the loss of Jeremy, she also experienced the deaths of her stepdad, her aunt, and her father in quick succession. For a long time, she kept herself busy, raising her daughters, moving house, running marathons, even fronting a national charity campaign. It wasn’t until she hit rock bottom that she realised she hadn’t allowed herself to truly grieve.
In this moving conversation, Kerry and I talk about what it means to reach that breaking point and how it can also be the start of something new. She shares her experience of delayed grief, the impact of multiple losses, and the importance of language, support, and friendship in rediscovering who you are after loss.
We discuss:
• Living with loss after the death of a soulmate to multiple myeloma
• What happens when grief is delayed, and why staying busy can’t keep it away forever
• Coping with the weight of multiple losses and the layers of grief they bring
• How bereavement can shake your sense of self, resilience, and daily life
• Finding strength through friendship, community, and shared support
• Shifting from self-criticism towards kindness and self-compassion
• Moving forward while holding on to love, joy, and hope
If you’ve ever felt like you’ve “lost yourself” after bereavement, Kerry’s honesty and courage will remind you that healing isn’t about reinventing who you are, but rediscovering the person you’ve always been.
Awakening Hope
I’d love you to join me for Awakening Hope, a free five-day immersive experience for widows and surviving partners, running 22–26 September 2025. Together we’ll explore how to face feelings, cultivate self-compassion, and rediscover who we are after loss.
Find out more and sign up here: https://www.karensutton.co.uk/awakeninghope
For More Support:
The Widows Membership: karensutton.co.uk/the-widow-membership
Coaching and retreats: karensutton.co.uk
