Walk with a Widow/er Support

09/06/2026

I always used to say to my husband on difficult days, “it’s a good thing I love you because right now I don’t like you”

Liking someone will change by the moment but loving someone sustains you through every argument, every annoying habit, and every disappointment.

Yes - people who love each other deeply can also disappoint each other deeply. You just accept disappointment as yet another thing that love conquers. 🥂 💍
1 Corinthians 13:7
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things

09/03/2026

Eeyore: “It’s not just the person you miss, Pooh. It’s the way the world felt when they were with you”
A. A. Milne

Nothing feels the same anymore once you lose your husband. You are not the same. The people around you see you differently and don’t engage the same way. Your social circle changes.

You miss being with married couples and families but it feels strange at the same time. You have not yet embraced your new and unpleasant identity of “widow”. You don’t feel like a wife - there’s no one to love or be loved by. You don’t feel like a woman who is “single and ready to mingle”. So who are you?

This is your identity crisis. Even the dynamics with your children will change because you now get to be Mom and dad. You make all major life decisions alone. You’ve lost your sounding board and accountability partner. You’ve lost the one who sharpens you.

But over the next few years of widowhood emerges a woman you didn’t know existed. You learn to live in an unfamiliar world. You learn to accept the unsavory nature of your new life. You adapt to the isolation. You may even learn to enjoy some aspects of your solitude.

Above all, you learn balance. You recognize that much of your life has to be tackled alone. Yet, repeatedly you will find that God in His goodness will send you just the right help when you need it. A kind neighbor, a trusted handyman, a fellow widow who speaks truth into your life, a widow who becomes your closest friend, and a church that cares about widows.

The children grow. They adapt to life without a father. They learn to do life away from their mother. You bought houses and sold houses. You’ve moved as many times as you’ve had to. You embrace change. Life begins to feel like a solo adventure.

You look back and see how far you’ve come. You don’t recognize this new person but she’s growing on you. She’s getting comfortable in her skin, confident in her accomplishments, and content with her life. Life now is more transitory than ever before. Seasons are short. Change comes frequently. And you are okay with all of it.

You’ve settled in with your new identity. You are more than a widow. You are a warrior. 🛡️ ⚔️

So, put on the armor of Christ. Keep marching forward. The battle continues to be fought. Be confident in this truth - He that is within you is Greater than he who is within the world 🌎

09/02/2026

Helping Others Grieve

If someone you care about has lost a loved one, you can help them through the grieving process.
Share the sorrow. Allow them — even encourage them — to talk about their feelings of loss and share memories of the deceased.

Don't offer false comfort. It doesn't help the grieving person when you say "it was for the best" or "you'll get over it in time." Instead, offer a simple expression of sorrow and take time to listen.

Offer practical help. Baby-sitting, cooking and running errands are all ways to help someone who is in the midst of grieving.

Be patient. Remember that it can take a long time to recover from a major loss. Make yourself available to talk.

Encourage professional help when necessary. Don't hesitate to recommend professional help when you feel someone is experiencing too much pain to cope alone.

08/31/2026

Living With Grief? How do you make it through this difficult season? Here are some tips.

Coping with death is vital to your mental health. It is only natural to experience grief when a loved one dies. The best thing you can do is allow yourself to grieve. There are many ways to cope effectively with your pain.

- Seek out caring people. Find relatives and friends who can understand your feelings of loss. Join support groups with others who are experiencing similar losses.
- Express your feelings. Tell others how you are feeling; it will help you to work through the grieving process.
- Take care of your health. Maintain regular contact with your family physician and be sure to eat well and get plenty of rest. Be aware of the danger of developing a dependence on medication or alcohol to deal with your grief.
- Accept that life is for the living. It takes effort to begin to live again in the present and not dwell on the past.
- Postpone major life changes. Try to hold off on making any major changes, such as moving, remarrying, changing jobs or having another child. You should give yourself time to adjust to your loss.
- Be patient. It can take months or even years to absorb a major loss and accept your changed life.
Seek outside help when necessary. If your grief seems like it is too much to bear, seek professional assistance to help work through your grief. It's a sign of strength, not weakness, to seek help.

You are NOT alone!

08/30/2026

Walk with a Widow Ministry is very honored to be launching widow ministry in yet another church (my new home church 🤩)

Widows are Warriors is grief support for widows, and
Walk With a Widow is a practical guide for churches on how to walk alongside a widow.

Our emphasis is empowering widows, educating non-widows, and preparing couples for the inevitable.

No, I do not run the ministry myself. Nor do I recommend who will. I merely present our ministry to the Pastor and offer to work alongside the person he nominates to lead this ministry.

I walk closely with this appointed leader and help her through the many logistical and relational barriers to ministry, all the while maintaining the utmost respect for the inner workings of the church. She in turn identifies the team that will work with her.

Our goal is to raise leaders within the church body who already have a trust-based relationship with the leaders coupled with an unequivocal passion for service to widows. This leader will be someone the church trusts with access to information and one who respects the leadership and structure of the church.

Trust is earned, not given - this is a leadership axiom which carries itself in every area of our ministry. We thank you for trusting us to work with those whom you trust 🙏

Each church has a unique structure and dynamics; each church is a brand new learning experience for me. And then of course, each individual I interact with has a different set of operational systems. We respect that.

My role is that of a Coach - I do not have the answers to every question but my commitment is to help you find a path through every barrier; to help you move towards independence in this ministry to widows.

If you would like to see your church (or community) start a ministry to widows, reach out to me. Let’s link arms in support of all the widows on this very isolating journey.

Widows are Warriors! A Walk through the Wilderness of Widowhood: Daily encouragement from a Widow's Perspective

08/29/2026

We are a ministry to widows and widowers. Our experience in widowhood uniquely equips us to encourage and embrace others walking the same journey we are. Almost 9 years of walking through some very personal traumatic journeys, walking alongside others who’ve experienced horrendous challenges in the aftermath of their husband passing away, walking alongside churches with a desire to minister to their widows. ⛪️

Please - if you are a widow, know that you do not have to do this alone. If you know someone who is a widow, direct them to join our group Walk with a Widow Group on Facebook. We have over 650 widows from around 15 countries; no matter what time of day or night you need a listening ear - someone in this group, somewhere in this big world, someone is awake. Reach out. You are NOT ALONE!!

If you are a widower - I encourage you to reach out to Widowers Support Network - Members Only. Founded by my friend Herb Knoll and now managed by Chris Bentley. Join him and over 1000 men who will walk with you.

Let’s put an end to the isolation widows and widowers live with; let’s lock arms.
Walk with a Widow Group

08/28/2026

God Is our Stronghold; A very present help in time of distress

As widows and widowers navigate the new and unfamiliar task of 'doing life alone', may we be reminded that God is our stronghold and a very present help in time of distress. Sometimes God rescues us from our struggles. He caused the shackles on Peter to fall off and the guards to fall asleep. Peter walked out of prison.

Sometimes, He allows us to be thrown into the fire but does not let it consume us. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the furnace, the guards were burned from being too close to the furnace. But the three men in the furnace were not consumed...and they were not alone. King Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth person in the furnace.

Sometimes, God will take what was meant to destroy us and use it to edify us. When Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, the rapaciously hungry and starving lion should have seen Daniel as nothing more than a meal.​ Instead, the lion behaved in an uncharacteristic manner. Because it did not attack Daniel, his persecutors recognized and respected the power of his God.

Psalm 91:14-15
Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

Psalm 22:4
In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

Dan 3:24-25
Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? They answered, ’True O King’. He then answered and said, ’But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
—

Cynthia Mascarenhas is the Founder of Walk with a Widow, a ministry to widows worldwide; You can also find us on the web.

Walk with a Widow Group is a support group on Facebook serving over 600 widows from over 15 countries around the world.

08/27/2026

Beyond the Wilderness: Remembering, healing, growing

While your immediate grief response is a fear that you will forget, your immediate trauma response is a fear that you will always remember; the reality is daily you work hard to not remember – the person you loved and lost.

So you avoid familiar places and memories. You keep moving forward. It’s a normal and appropriate response. But, on certain days you remember- it is part of your healing.

Today I just dropped off my daughter to the airport. She’s off to another country to minister to orphans through the art of dance. Often in ministry, we find we are the ones who return transformed. So I pray that God would use this time to heal her hurting heart. I lost my husband, but she lost her dad. A pain I cannot begin to understand. But I know this is a big part of her healing journey. Cover her in prayer. God has big plans for her.

This trip to the airport brought me back to my many memories with my husband. The chick-fil-a where we had family dates for decades – where I now sit and remember. Pain mingled with sweetness. Grief over loss crossing over into gratitude for many years together.

It’s a mixed bag. Grief never goes away. You make a choice to not reside in it. But it will forever reside in you.
Grief Trauma & Despair change you; Break you in ways you cannot imagine
Then the beauty of a new creation masterfully held together by scars begins to emerge. You are never the same but in so many ways, you are stronger. You are more equipped. You are emboldened to step into your calling.

Remembering you with an overwhelming love today and always Franz Mascarenhas 💕💕
(Originally written on 10/10/22)

Correlates with chapter 10 in
Widows are Warriors (Amazon link ⬇️)
Reminiscing: does it hurt or heal?