Phoenix, Arizona Community and Support Group for Widows
Our Mission for Widows
We serve to empower widows to lean into life, build resilience and make a positive difference in society.
Modern Widows Club is designed to create a safe and private environment for widows to lean into life together through the journey.
We are the club no one wants to be in because you only get in by virtue of experiencing a great loss. Yet what I hope you find once you’re here is that you’re surrounded by a community of really amazing women that you can lean on and learn from. We’re widows helping widows to live- to go upward and onward. Sometimes we cry and sometimes we laugh. We talk about how to tackle challenges without our partners’ help and cheer each other on. We often share food as we do this, because who doesn’t like to eat?
When a woman loses her loved one she tends to feel very alone. Regardless of her age or circumstances, she will benefit from other women in her life who understand the unique challenges she is now faced with. She needs women who will build her up and encourage her in this new life she walks. We are stronger together. No woman is an island. We need each other.
Click here to contact the Modern Widows Club Phoenix community and support group for widows.
Meet Our Community Advocate
Karla T.
Hello, my name is Karla, and I live in a suburb of Phoenix, AZ. I lost my husband to cancer in 2017 after an intense 2 1/2 year battle. He was almost 52; I was just barely 50. We were 2 weeks shy of our 29th anniversary. Our girls were 27, 23, and 21, and our son was 16. My husband had a successful career in the finance industry, and I was a homemaker. We were very happy; my life was everything I had wanted it to be, and then it was turned completely upside down.
Foolishly, I thought I would not be completely knocked down by widowhood because I'd had time to get prepared for it. The truth is, as every widow knows, you can never fully prepare. You cannot possibly know what it will be like until you are in it; and it's different for everyone. I had very good support from my children, neighborhood friends, church group, and family; yet I struggled deeply. There were many days where I would send my kids off to work and school, go back to bed and cry all day, then hurry and do my hair and makeup before they got home. I couldn't imagine a way forward, I didn't even want to try; my grief nearly consumed me. With time, I muddled through the fog, sought grief counseling for a year, and gradually found my way to a Plan B. Getting through grief is hard work; it's a process, and it takes time and patience. When I say "getting through," I don't mean to imply that one gets over it, just that you learn how to keep living even though it's a part of you.
After being out of the workforce for nearly 30 years, I studied hard and became a financial advisor in my husband's office working with many of his prior clients. I had taught private voice and piano from home when my children were young, and I took that up again too, giving lessons for free simply because of the joy it brought me. I learned there are so many ways we can heal ourselves by reaching out and helping others.
As he was battling cancer, my husband would often say, "We don't get to choose what happens to us; we only get to choose what we do about it." He was and still is my shining light and example of how to live. He loved life, loved people, and loved serving them. That is what I hope to do as a Community Advocate for the new Phoenix Chapter of MWC.
Now that I'm 5+ years out, I want to help guide other widows to find their way. I have come to understand that despite being widows, we can be a tremendous force for good in the world. We have an authentic ability to empathize with others, and we know what it means to power through the bad days and still create a beautiful life. Through education and friendship, we can become empowered to live joyfully and give meaningfully. Please join with me at MWC, and let's walk this road together.
