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- There are 11.4 million widows in the country, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, some who are younger than the norm, which face a set of challenges all their own. These challenges include unexpected medical bills, the permanent loss of a loved one, and radical shifts in daily routines.
www.deseret.com/2014/9/10/20548252/10-ways-to-stand-strong-as-a-widow/
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May 25, 2017 · Becoming a widow was the most terrible thing that ever happened to me. Looking back, I learned so much along the way.
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- Time is never enough: Regardless of the duration of your relationship, losing your partner feels like an eternal loss. Whether you spent one day or several decades together, the feeling of being robbed of precious moments is universal among widows.
- I knew, but I still wasn’t ready: Even if you anticipate your spouse’s passing due to illness or other circumstances, the emotional preparation is never enough.
- Memories of the funeral: In the midst of grief, certain details of the funeral and burial become hazy, if not entirely forgotten. The intensity of emotions can create a numbing effect, protecting our minds from fully absorbing the traumatic events surrounding the loss.
- The emotions of fresh grief: The immediate aftermath of losing a spouse is filled with a huge mix of emotions. Surprisingly, my initial reaction wasn’t overwhelming sadness; it was relief.
Becoming a widow is not something you can prepare for before it happens. You can have all your ducks in a row. The funeral pre-paid and arrangements pre-decided. All of the legal papers drawn up. But even if your spouse lingers in hospice, you can never truly be ready.
- You can’t screw this up. People will judge, you’ll be looked at strangely, and the worst part is that there will be times you feel like a failure. This is when to stop and remember there is no right way to be a widow, no matter what anyone says.
- People really are trying to help. Sometimes it won’t feel like help, but they are doing the best they know how. Probably not many in your circle are widows, and even those that are will get it wrong.
- Relationships will change. Friendships you thought would last will disappear — sometimes slowly, sometimes overnight. Connections with the military community will morph.
- It is OK to be angry. Being a widow sucks and being a military widow brings a whole new layer of complication to the situation. It is normal — I’d say almost universal — to get angry at points along the way.
Sep 7, 2022 · There are 11.8 million widows in the U.S. and approximately 2,800 new widows are joining these ranks every day. The average age of widowhood in the U.S. is 59, according to a frequently cited figure attributed to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Sep 10, 2014 · One way to survive widowhood, according to one blogger, is to join a widow network. Some of these networks include WidowNet, which offers resources and information for widows, and The American Widow Project, a social media network for widows. Young widows even have their own social networking site.
Mar 4, 2022 · Women live longer than men and tend to marry older men. Among married Americans, 58 percent of women age 75 and older experience widowhood, compared to 28 percent of men. An astonishing one-third of women become widows before they’re 60, and half before they are 65. I was 56.
