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Women Over 70: Aging ReimaginedAuthor: Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau
Tune into our engaging conversations with women in their 70s, 80s and 90s whose stories about living meaningful and productive lives will inspire, educate and motivate our listeners. Through these stories, older and younger women alike can anticipate exciting years ahead. Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Personal Journals, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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368 Diane Heiler: Once a Divorcee, Once a Widow — Now a Partner Re‑Engaged in Life
Episode 368
Tuesday, 17 February, 2026
Diane Heiler shares her deeply moving journey of caring for her husband during his 20‑month “death sentence” from an incurable disease — a journey she chronicles with raw honesty and artistry in her memoir, A Widow’s Fire: An Intimate Memoir of Heartbreak, Survival, and Moving On. With poetry and art as lifelong companions, Diane turned to daily journaling to navigate the relentless progression of her husband’s illness. Out of that quiet practice, poetry emerged — a lifeline and a mirror to her grief. In her poem See Me, she writes: See me… standing here with my broken heart in my hand… blowing kisses into the air and sending love up into the heavens… so far from where I am. After his passing, Diane retreated to her mountaintop home in North Carolina, seeking solitude in her sorrow. Months later, at her sister’s urging, she reluctantly attended a country club dance — and unexpectedly, a new chapter began. From her poem My Christmas Blessing: I have been blessed with the presence of living in the light of someone special. He is gone from me now. But the afterglow of his goodness and his love is still shining through the windows in his heart and gracing my existence. I follow a light in the pathway he has drawn for me and see that in his wisdom he wants me to be safe, happy, and fulfilled. I am blessed. Diane’s story reminds us that love continues in many forms — and that healing often begins in the most unexpected moments. “We stay true to ourselves even when others unfairly judge us.” - Diane Heiler CONNECT WITH DIANE: Email: misspriss12923@me.com Book: A Widow’s Fire: An Intimate Memoir of Heartbreak, Survival, and Moving On. Acknowledgments Plymouth Place: Thanks to our Sponsor, Plymouth Place in LaGrange Park IL where senior living is redefined with options and opportunities to fit individual needs and preferences. Age-Wise Collective: Women Over 70 is proud to share the spotlight with Gerontologist Sally Duplantier, host of Wellness Wednesdays. These free and recorded webinars feature experts on topics about healthy aging. Visit MyZingLife.com to learn more.
