When life comes full circle - Kelli McCombe

When life comes full circle - Kelli McCombe

There’s something profound about a life ending on the same date it began, and in the same place it started. In this deeply raw conversation, Kelli McCombe shares the story of losing her husband suddenly on his birthday in 2024 and in Papua New Guinea, the place he was born. A devoted husband, father, and well-known member of his community, his death left Kelli navigating shock, trauma, and an overwhelming new reality. As a registered psychiatric nurse, Kelli understands trauma from a clinical perspective — but here she speaks as a widow living it. She reflects on the disorientation of early grief, the weight of responsibility that followed, and the complexity of trying to function while everything inside her was unravelling. This is an episode about sudden loss, trauma responses, and the fragile early months of grief — and the small anchors of love and support that can sometimes keep you going. Together, Caroline and Kelli chat about: * The day everything changed and the shock of sudden loss * The significance of his death occurring in his birthplace * Experiencing grief while also understanding trauma clinically * Memory, confusion, and early grief decision-making * Carrying responsibility for business and life admin in shock * Isolation, support, and finding small anchors to survive each day Quote that resonates with Kelli: “After everything I’ve lost, I still believe there’s beauty in the world and choosing to notice it, is part of how I keep going” About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support.  This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links * Learn more about First Light Widowed Support [https://firstlight.org.au] * Follow First Light on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/firstlightwidowedsupport] * Like First Light on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/firstlightwidowedsupport] * Connect with First Light on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-light-widowed-support] * Connect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-winter-5a19369b/]

Loving, losing, and being seen - Jonathan Teo

There’s something about losing your person in a same-sex relationship that can add an extra layer to grief – when love has to be named, explained, and sometimes defended, even in loss. Jonathan Teo shares the story of an ordinary day in October 2023 that turned into the day everything changed. His husband Julian left for work and never came home. A catastrophic brain haemorrhage took him within days, leaving Jonathan to navigate shock, grief, and a life rewritten in an instant. Jonathan’s love story with Julian began online, long distance between the US and Australia, before Jonathan moved to Australia in 2009 where they built a life together. Not two halves, but two whole people who simply fit. This is an episode about sudden loss, identity, and the ways grief is shaped not only by who we lose, but by how that love is seen and understood by the world around us. Together, Caroline and Jonathan chat about: * How Jonathan and Julian met and built their life together * The day everything changed and the shock of sudden loss * Living with unanswered questions and complex emotions * Navigating grief alongside identity as a Rainbow Widower * The importance of language, visibility, and recognition in grief * How love continues, and what connection looks like after loss Quote that resonates with Jonathan: “Our grief is as a result for the individual, that if it wasn’t for that love we wouldn’t be grieving them the way that we grieve” About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support.  This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links * Learn more about First Light Widowed Support [https://firstlight.org.au] * Follow First Light on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/firstlightwidowedsupport] * Like First Light on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/firstlightwidowedsupport] * Connect with First Light on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-light-widowed-support] * Connect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-winter-5a19369b/]

Holding grief and new life - Cassandra Barrie

What happens when the moment you are preparing to become a mother becomes the moment your world falls apart? In this deeply emotional and honest episode, Cassandra Barrie shares her story of losing her husband while 30 weeks pregnant with their son – where joy and heartbreak collided in the most unimaginable way. In the months that followed, Cass also faced further loss and upheaval that reshaped everything she thought life would look like. Today, she is a counsellor and empowerment mentor who uses her lived experience of grief, motherhood, and rebuilding to support others – bringing honesty, warmth and even laughter into the heaviest moments. This is an episode about the complexity of becoming a mother in the midst of grief, the ripple effects of compounded loss, and the slow, non-linear process of finding your way forward. Together, Caroline and Cassandra chat about: * Life with Glen and the future they were building together * Experiencing sudden loss during pregnancy * Becoming a mother in the immediate aftermath of grief * The role of spirituality and meaning-making in her journey * Navigating multiple losses and survival in the early months * Rebuilding identity, finding support, and discovering purpose in helping others Quote that resonates with Cass: “What you aren’t changing, you are choosing”  About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support.  This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links * Learn more about First Light Widowed Support [https://firstlight.org.au] * Follow First Light on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/firstlightwidowedsupport] * Like First Light on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/firstlightwidowedsupport] * Connect with First Light on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-light-widowed-support] * Connect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-winter-5a19369b/]

From loss to leadership - Annabelle Wilson

What happens when the story you’ve lived becomes part of the work you go on to do? In this thoughtful and deeply reflective episode, Annabelle Wilson shares her experience of losing her husband Josh, and navigating widowhood and new motherhood while connected to the unique realities of military family life. In the years that followed, Annabelle found herself not only rebuilding her own life but stepping into a role that would allow her to advocate for others walking a similar path. Today, as Australia’s Veteran Family Commissioner, she brings lived experience and professional insight into national conversations about how we support the families behind the uniform. This is an episode about grief and identity, but also about systems, advocacy, and what it means to turn personal loss into meaningful change, while still carrying the love and legacy of the person you’ve lost. Together, Caroline and Annabelle chat about: * Life with Josh and the realities of military family life * Navigating illness, anticipatory grief, and early loss * Becoming a widow and a mother at the same time * The gaps in support for military families after loss * Stepping into leadership as Veteran Family Commissioner * Finding purpose, continuing bonds, and hope for the future Quote that resonates with Annabelle “What if it all works out?” About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support.  This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links * Learn more about First Light Widowed Support [https://firstlight.org.au] * Follow First Light on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/firstlightwidowedsupport] * Like First Light on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/firstlightwidowedsupport] * Connect with First Light on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-light-widowed-support] * Connect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-winter-5a19369b/]

What death taught me about living – Lisa Corduff

What if grief began long before the goodbye? Lisa Corduff is a speaker, coach, writer, and solo mum, but her journey through grief began years before her husband Nick passed away. As she puts it, “addiction widowed me” and in this deeply honest conversation, Lisa opens up about loving someone through addiction, navigating solo parenting, and the complex grief of losing someone you’d already started to let go of. We explore what Nick’s death taught her about life, identity, and rebuilding from the inside out and how she continues to show up for others with vulnerability, humour and radical compassion.   Together, Caroline and Lisa chat about: * How addiction shaped her marriage, motherhood and eventual grief * The tension of claiming widowhood after separation * What she’s learned about life, love, and letting go * Her honest take on solo parenting, identity and strength * Getting unstuck and giving yourself permission to be creative * How to fill your own cup amid the storm Quotes that resonate with Lisa “No one is waiting at the end of this with a medal for you getting through this the hard way” and “life is a creative act” About The Widow Diaries A podcast that holds space for the often-unspoken stories of grief, love, and life after loss - especially for those widowed young. Hosted by journalist and widow Caroline Winter and brought to you by First Light Widowed Support. This is The Widow Diaries: Where no story is the same – and every story matters. Links * Learn more about First Light Widowed Support [https://firstlight.org.au] * Follow First Light on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/firstlightwidowedsupport] * Like First Light on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/firstlightwidowedsupport] * Connect with First Light on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-light-widowed-support] * Connect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-winter-5a19369b/] * Learn more about Lisa Corduff [https://lisacorduff.com/] * Listen to Lisa’s podcast This moment in time [https://lisacorduff.com/this-moment-in-time-podcast/]