Widowed AF: Real stories of love, grief and beyond - With Rosie Moss · Rosie Moss

S2 - EP24 - Chatty - Christmas Special

December 19, 2024·41 min·4 clips

Rosie lied to her son about Santa after her husband died, shattering his Christmas magic in a moment of panic.

This Christmas special episode features host Rosie Gilmoss and her husband, Jonathan Gilmoss, reflecting on the holiday season after loss. They discuss navigating grief during the festive period, marking their seventh Christmases without their late spouses, Ben and Sarah. Rosie recounts booking a trip to Cape Verde for her first Christmas without Ben to avoid traditional celebrations at home. Jonathan describes cooking Christmas dinner for his extended family just weeks after Sarah's funeral as a form of avoidance. Rosie shares the difficult moment her son Monty asked if Father Christmas was real shortly after Ben's death. They read a message from listener Amy Louise Bradley, whose husband died when their son was three months old, expressing feeling like a "bad mom" for not doing festive activities. Another listener, Sue Bushnell, facing her first Christmas without her husband, finds joy through her granddaughters discovering his "flying pig" ornament. Rosie explains her past practice of documenting one moment of joy daily to find "glimmers" in grief. They play a clip from guest Orla, who describes a new tradition of buying a special bauble for the tree with her son to remember his father. A clip from Laura Malin reveals tension that arose when her social media post remembering her late husband upset her new partner's adult children. Rosie and Jonathan discuss the challenge of publicly honoring a late spouse while in a new relationship, with Jonathan stating you "can't be jealous of a dead person." They emphasize the importance of "low-demand invitations" for bereaved people during the holidays. A clip from listener Corrine Candish highlights practical struggles, like no one being there to get decorations from the loft. Rosie announces the podcast has reached its two-year anniversary and maintained download numbers despite reducing output. The couple plans to take a holiday in Jamaica to recharge after an emotionally draining year of hosting. The tone is intimate, conversational, and supportive, blending personal stories with listener contributions. The style is a casual, reflective dialogue between two widowed individuals who have formed a new partnership. This episode would deeply resonate with widowed individuals, especially parents, dreading the Christmas season and seeking validation for their complex emotions. Listeners interested in practical and emotional strategies for navigating grief during holidays would find it useful. Those who prefer highly produced narrative storytelling or are not personally touched by bereavement might find the content less engaging.

As heard by us

A gentle Christmas special about grief, memory, and making room for a new normal.

Widowed AF turns a Christmas catch-up into a small, steady conversation about grief, memory, and how the holidays shift when family life changes.

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Why you'd press play

A Christmas chat for when the tree is up and you want company that understands a smaller, quieter season.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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