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 togetherExperiencing sudden loss during pregnancyBecoming a mother in the immediate aftermath of griefThe role of spirituality and meaning-making in her journeyNavigating multiple losses and survival in the early monthsRebuilding identity, finding support, and discovering purpose in helping othersQuote that resonates with Cass: “What you aren’t changing, you are choosing” About The Widow DiariesA 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.LinksLearn more about First Light Widowed SupportFollow First Light on InstagramLike First Light on FacebookConnect with First Light on LinkedInConnect with Caroline Winter on LinkedIn