Self-Care for Widows

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Self-Care for Widows

Widow. Pharmacist. Mom. I know what grief does to your body. You’re not alone.

I teach the REFILL Strategy - strategic self-care for widowed women who are rebuilding their health and their lives.

10/28/2026

To the mom who’s afraid to leave her kid and travel:

I just got home from Paris, and this is who was waiting for me at the airport. A sign he made himself. Eiffel Tower, French flags, and “Welcome Back, MOM” in Parisian colors.

I’m not going to pretend leaving was easy. I know the guilt. I know the voice that says a good mom would stay.

But here’s what I’ve learned: your child doesn’t need a perfect mom. They need a happy one.

My son watched me cry in the early years after his dad passed. He saw me at my lowest. And now? He sees his mom glowing. Joyful. Traveling the world. He’s learning that grief isn’t the end of the story, and that joy is something you’re allowed to go back for.

Taking care of yourself IS taking care of your kids. They learn what rest, joy, and self-worth look like by watching you live them.

So book the trip. Let them make the sign. Come home refilled, because you can’t pour from an empty cup, and he deserves to see a mom who’s full.

Mamas, what’s the trip you’ve been putting off? 👇🏾

10/08/2026

I'm approaching 7 years...what do you want to ask me about?

08/25/2026

I haven’t shared much about my widow journey lately, but the first two years all my son saw was me crying.

Then over the next 4 and 1/2 years, he watched my glow up.

That’s what I want him to remember.

03/17/2026

❤️

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12/08/2025

If the holidays feel heavy every year, this is for you.

15 days until 6 years and it still hits me.

This is a note Faith sent me years ago.

I keep it.

Because some days I need the reminder that I'm allowed to still be broken.

That 6 years later, I'm allowed to still cry.

That I'm allowed to feel angry, numb, whatever comes up—for as long as I need to.

People expect you to be "over it" by now.

Faith never did.

She said: "I will still be there."

Strategic self-care isn't just what YOU do for yourself.

It's also keeping the people who give you permission to fall apart.

15 days until 6 years.

Who's the person in your life who gave you permission to not be okay?

Drop their name below 👇🏾

11/30/2025

Things I think about as a 46-year-old widowed mom:

1. How long will my parents be listed as my emergency contact?
2. What does my son think about me being single? Does he think I’m happy?
3. I’ve known my son longer than I knew my husband.
4. Would I really want to live with someone else again after having my space?

Just some thoughts…

11/04/2025

It’s already written, I just needed the right time.

49 days until year 6.

10/15/2025

Hey loves! ❤️

Dropping some Scripture in your feed today because these verses carried me when my life fell apart in 2019.

Psalm 34:18
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."

Psalm 68:5
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling."

Isaiah 61:3
"...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."

At 40, I was functioning but falling apart. Strong but in distress. I didn't listen to my body OR these promises until I had no choice.

At 46, I'm living proof that beauty really does come from ashes. Joy really does replace mourning. And you're going to make it too.

Which verse hits different for you today? 👇

09/17/2025

How Long Did It Take Me To Smile (for real) Again?

I know when you’re on this journey, it may feel like it’s impossible.

Is it okay to smile?
What if I’m too happy?
Is it too soon?

Here’s the truth: Grief and Joy CAN coexist.

I still have HARD days, BUT I have some amazing days too.

Now that I’m in the space to answer your REAL questions about widowhood, let’s do this.

Ask me a question, and I’ll answer it in a post!

09/10/2025

Address

New Orleans, LA

Website

http://dralishareed.com/

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