
After my husband died in 2011, I found myself searching for a guide, a plan, or some sort of checklist that I could follow to help me navigate through my grief. I was disappointed to find that there is no roadmap to process the devastation of your partner’s death. In the early days, I felt so stuck in my pain that I couldn’t imagine ever feeling joy again. His death had stolen my life as I knew it. Thankfully, I not only found the strength to move on, but I was also able to raise two boys to adulthood, find joy (and love) again, and I even wrote a book about my experience called “Filled with Gold”. Now my life’s mission is to find new ways to support widows. One of these ways is this Self-Care Support Guide. It has the tools, playlists, books, resources, and journal prompts that helped me get through the toughest time in my life. I hope it can help you too.
Love,
Melissa
A Message from Melissa
From one widow to another, here is why I believe this little guide can be a big support to you.
Fill out the form at the top of the page to get your FREE Widow Self-Care Support guide.

ABOUT ME
Melissa Grahek Pierce is the author of Filled With Gold, written with Christine Fadden. She went through a tremendous trial when her husband died five years after adopting two young boys, and the book is the story of her journey. Now, she helps other widows cope with their own losses and move forward. She enjoys her roles as a wife, mother, sister, and friend.
Filled With Gold
It had been five years since my husband, Dave, and I had adopted two boys from the Oregon foster-care system. We moved from bustling Portland, Oregon, to a beautiful, remote mountain town where we planned to raise our sons. Then, in one short, shocking moment, everything changed. I became a widow and a single mother, and was forced to find a new future for myself and the two boys who were counting on me. My new book, written with the help of Christine Fadden, shows my journey through grief and to acceptance. It details the challenges I faced as a newly single mother and the moments of both frustration and healing that every family member shared. I hope that our story will inspire and comfort anyone who has lost a loved one or faced the challenges of parenting alone.