SHE thought her life was flowing along nicely as she rowed through the waters.

Annie Bradford's daughter was about to get married, she and her husband Phillip were living a happy life and she was surrounded by family. But suddenly Annie's mother passed away, and shortly after she was widowed.

At age 49 the Warwick woman was left grieving and had to navigate her way back to the stream of her life.

Local ladies cried and laughed along with Annie when she shared her story at the Women of Warwick breakfast yesterday.

Annie spoke of how life was bubbling along smoothly.

"We were empty nesters and enjoying our time very much," she said. "Phillip actually had a heart attack a couple of months after mum died and we thought he'd be okay but sadly a year later he had another heart attack."

Although he had recovered, an issue with his stent rendered him brain dead and Annie and her family were forced to say goodbye.

"It just blew my mind," Annie said.

"It was almost like I had to reboot myself.

Annie threw herself into fitness and exercise and joined a gym, but the grief was still there.

"We grieve very differently - I don't think there's a right way or a wrong way," she said.

Anger and resentment took their toll but Annie's friends stood by her.

Together with her close friend Chris Wallace, Annie wrote a little book about grief and created a number of artworks that tell the story of her journey.

Friendship helped the grieving widow get through, and she offered some advice on how the ladies could help friends going through loss.

"Just hang in there," she said.

"Even if someone is pushing you away - hang in if you can."