What started out as an average winter morning ended up being one that would change everything in Melissa Pierce's life. She went to wake up her husband Dave for their son's basketball game and found him unresponsive. Dave had died during the night and the cause of death was never determined. Melissa jumped into figuring out logistics - planning a memorial, getting her sons to school, moving their family, working a full-time job - but eventually she had to figure out herself. It meant focusing on what she was thinking, feeling, and needing in her grief. That shift to prioritizing self-care ended up changing everything, again.  We discuss How Melissa and Dave met and fell in love  The process of adopting their two sons  How the shock of Dave’s sudden death led to what Melissa calls “Zombie mode”  Being the person who found Dave when he died and how that impacted her grief  Grieving when the cause of death is undetermined  The financial, logistical, and emotional reality of being a solo parent  Having to tell her sons that their dad died  When Melissa started to feel her feelings in grief  The physical toll of grief  Where Melissa turned for support  How prioritizing self-care changed everything  The origin story of the Widow Squad community  Melissa is the author of Filled With Gold: A Widow’s Story, co-founder of The Widow Squad community, and co-host of The Widow Squad podcast.  Listen to The Widow Squad podcast Episode 41- Holidays and Grief: Strategies to Get Through the Holidays After Your Spouse Dies.