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Listen "From Wife to Widow: Suzanne Read’s Story of Grief, Growth & Healing"
Episode Synopsis
In this deeply moving episode of I'm in Control, I sit down with the incredible Suzanne Read — a widow, author, grief mentor, and founder of Colour Blind Retreat — who opens up about her husband Robert’s battle with leukaemia and the profound journey of love, loss, and healing that followed.
Suzanne shares the raw and intimate moments surrounding Robert’s final days and how she turned her grief into a powerful mission to help others. We talk about the cathartic process of writing her book Wife to Widow, the birth of her podcast Beyond the Grief, and how she now holds space for others navigating bereavement through her retreats, her animals, and the quiet strength of presence and listening.
This episode is a heartfelt exploration of what it means to survive the unimaginable, to rebuild your identity, and to hold space for others in their pain.
00:00 – Introduction: Suzanne Read’s story and Robert’s cancer journey
04:00 – The moment of loss and finding unexpected beauty in goodbye
10:00 – Writing Wife to Widow during isolation and grief
15:00 – The healing power of storytelling and Suzanne’s podcast Beyond the Grief
20:00 – The importance of holding space and truly listening to those grieving
25:00 – Crying as emotional detox and learning not to apologise for grief
30:00 – Building Colour Blind Retreat and connecting with animals for healing
35:00 – Equine connection and using nature to support emotional processing
40:00 – Suzanne’s proudest moment and reclaiming control through her sanctuary
This is a powerful conversation about reclaiming agency through loss, creating a legacy from pain, and the magic that happens when we allow ourselves — and others — to truly feel. Suzanne’s honesty, strength and gentleness are a gift to all who listen.
Let this episode be a gentle reminder: grief is not a weakness, it’s a mark of love. And in the darkest seasons, there is always light to be found.
Suzanne shares the raw and intimate moments surrounding Robert’s final days and how she turned her grief into a powerful mission to help others. We talk about the cathartic process of writing her book Wife to Widow, the birth of her podcast Beyond the Grief, and how she now holds space for others navigating bereavement through her retreats, her animals, and the quiet strength of presence and listening.
This episode is a heartfelt exploration of what it means to survive the unimaginable, to rebuild your identity, and to hold space for others in their pain.
00:00 – Introduction: Suzanne Read’s story and Robert’s cancer journey
04:00 – The moment of loss and finding unexpected beauty in goodbye
10:00 – Writing Wife to Widow during isolation and grief
15:00 – The healing power of storytelling and Suzanne’s podcast Beyond the Grief
20:00 – The importance of holding space and truly listening to those grieving
25:00 – Crying as emotional detox and learning not to apologise for grief
30:00 – Building Colour Blind Retreat and connecting with animals for healing
35:00 – Equine connection and using nature to support emotional processing
40:00 – Suzanne’s proudest moment and reclaiming control through her sanctuary
This is a powerful conversation about reclaiming agency through loss, creating a legacy from pain, and the magic that happens when we allow ourselves — and others — to truly feel. Suzanne’s honesty, strength and gentleness are a gift to all who listen.
Let this episode be a gentle reminder: grief is not a weakness, it’s a mark of love. And in the darkest seasons, there is always light to be found.
In God we trust