mementos & Memories:

My husband, Eric, passed away four months before I signed up for coaching. I was really overwhelmed with the idea of solo parenting and figuring out how to do life without him. I started looking into anything and everything people would suggest, and Mom Goes On was the first thing that felt concrete. From my time in Mom Goes On, I feel more present and able to enjoy the things that we have, because I'm not completely overwhelmed by being a solo parent. I can feel frustrated and let it flow through me without snapping or yelling. I don't lay in bed beating myself up and thinking about all the things that went wrong. There’s a sense of calm that wasn’t there before. I’ve learned that I’m strong. I’m capable of doing hard things and handling things calmly, with as much grace as possible. And I’m capable of making good decisions for myself and the girls.

I didn't even know what to hope for when I joined Mom Goes On because I was so in the depths of grief. Now I feel so confident that I can be happy and love my life.

I was originally looking for a dating coach, but I wasn’t sure if they could help widows, and I wasn't sure I was ready to date. My colleague sent me Krista, and I was drawn to her energy and enthusiasm. On the first call, she asked what I wanted in life. I have a big list of goals and I wanted to go, go, go all the time and bypass feelings, because I tend to think accomplishing things will resolve feelings. I didn't want to feel inadequate, ashamed, unseen, or unlovable. Krista helped me slow down, look at my feelings and thoughts, and then figure out a path to get where I want to go. Whenever I feel stuck or overwhelmed, she coached me on how everything can be figured out. The takeaway is that I can relax into uncertainty. That feels a little scary, but mostly it feels empowering. Krista helps me slow down and locate myself in a compassionate, objective way.

She is helping me lean into uncomfortable feelings in order to have the life that I want.

I’ve always been a joyful person, but I became so angry after my husband died. I would yell at my kids for normal stuff, like spilling milk or getting dirt on their clothes. I knew that wasn’t the life I wanted, because I would feel so horrible afterward. But in the moment, I couldn’t stop. Krista told me to think of my thoughts like a platter. I have lots of options, and I can pick and choose how I want to respond to any situation. So now, instead of allowing myself to explode, I take a second and think, “Okay, they just spilled water. What do I want to do here? What do I want to say?” I’m much more calm and peaceful than before – and my kids are, too! Mom Goes On is truly life changing. I know I can’t go back in time, but I wish I had done it sooner. I floundered for three and a half years after Todd died, just barely surviving.

Now I actually like my life! Even though Todd is not here, I like the rest of it. It’s all thanks to Krista and the things she teaches.

I lost my husband to suicide in December of 2018. The first year or so was a blur. I was in shock and I busying myself, doing a great job of avoiding my feelings. A year and a half after he died, I found The Widowed Mom Podcast and thought to myself, “Okay, Krista gets it. She is going to help me.” When I learned of the Mom Goes On program, I was curious. At first, I was a little bit skeptical of the group setting, as I didn't want to be lost in a crowd. What I discovered was that being in a group is like finding a bunch of new best friends that you have this terrible thing in common with, and you help each other through. I've learned from other people’s questions and coaching. I really have grown so much, feel so supported, and have gained some really powerful tools.

Mom Goes On is a great way to get your life back. And I love it so much, I signed up again for Mom Goes On Masters!

I love having step-by-step tools that I know I have the power to use to make things better for myself! I started the program thinking I needed to find some big purpose so my life would have meaning and happiness. I now am more clear on my purpose and values, I have learned my purpose is to just live my life and I am happier with my everyday choices, changing my thought to “I want to” instead of “I should or I need to” has helped me enjoy the little everyday things. I have more self-confidence, making decisions is easier and I love the thought there is no right or wrong decision. I am more curious about trying new things knowing the worse thing that can happen are feelings. I know with certainty that I can do hard things and that I can have a happy future.I feel proud of myself and very hopeful for the future.

Thank you so much for starting MGO and sharing your knowledge in a way that has been so helpful for me.

Things that I never thought I could get to, I see are now possible. The work is not fluff, it’s true intense work on myself.

I’ve come a long way from the dark places in my mind to seeing what’s possible for me.

My life is better because of Mom Goes On. Krista’s tools and coaching have allowed me to peel off layers of grief like an onion and get to my best self. If it weren’t for what I learned in Mom Goes On, I would still be stuck in the same patterns that were holding me back from being my best self.

If I could give advice to a widow considering joining I would tell her it’s the catalyst to help her move from staying stuck in grief vs taking grief forward into a much fuller life.

Today I feel like I’m a different person from one year ago. Krista and my group of moms have changed my life. I not only learned skills to handle my loss but I have also used the tips and techniques in my everyday life. I am in touch with how my feelings affect me daily and know how to handle those feelings now. I am mentally so much stronger than I thought possible. I could go on and on about the positive impacts of this program.

Thank you, thank you, Krista, a million times for having the insight and courage to form this program.

I learned practical strategies for dealing with my grief surrounding my husband’s death, and I learned how to dream about and build my next chapter in life. I also learned useful ways to approach all the new experiences that widowhood brings as well as the new life for me and for my children.

I am excited for my future!

I was in a very sad, lonely and dark place before finding Mom Goes On. I had PTSD from the suicide loss of my husband. Mom Goes On gave me a safe place to learn and grow and the women in it are nothing short of amazing.

I’m proud of the work I’ve done and now see that my future can be full of joy, hope and new understanding.

To enumerate the victories here would be endless, but among the more important ones, I have come to see myself as a strong and capable mother who chooses her children over other distractions, who advocates for her son who at 5 and a half has not learned to speak, who forgives herself for imperfections and teaches her children that “failing forward” is a thing! I have begun helping other widowed moms and children at a local grief center. I have carved out time for myself: I learned to sail and am playing guitar. I make time for friends. I care for my body and lend a hand to neighbors.

Mom Goes On has allowed me to see that I am not alone—through the mirror of other women I have been able to see myself. Through their successes, I have crafted my own.

It changed my entire outlook on my life and the people and events in my life.

I can’t express what coaching and Mom Goes On did for me.

I’ll be honest, although there was something that drew me to Krista’s MGO program, I fought the concepts hard when I joined. As a widow, I felt the kids and I were now on the “outside” of the goodness of life.

But I stuck with it, and now I see the world and myself from a more loving perspective.