With the loss of a spouse, many widows find themselves surrounded by friends and family, offering well-intentioned support, love, and offers of much-needed practical help or advice. Ultimately, though, even in the midst of caring friends and family, the one left behind, alone, may feel just that: alone. Left to cope alone, to grieve alone, to make important decisions alone. Even with those she loves and trusts surrounding her and sharing in her grief, the widow, alone, experiences the loss of a long-time soul mate and best friend; the other half that along with her own once made a whole.

There are no hard and fast rules as to the duration of grieving for a spouse. Some widows find with support from family and friends they are soon able to once again look forward to living; others grieve for many years before they are able to even cope with the idea of trying to find a life for themselves. Still others are never quite able to pick up the pieces and carry on to a life lived alone; depression over the loss of a spouse can be devastating and can take quite a toll on the emotions and mind set of those left behind to start anew.

However the grieving process is lived out, there are hardships that arise to each widow; unfortunately that is one term of widowhood that is universal.

A Future Disrupted

Thousands of mornings may be awakened to with someone familiar, and loved, at our side. Whether it’s a workday or a weekend, whether there will be pleasure ahead or a long tiring day, it is spent with the knowledge that when once again it is time to bid goodbye to the day, that same loved, familiar person will be lying beside us. It is routine, this expectation, and like so many aspects of our lives, lived day to day with the comfort that familiarity can bring, it becomes expected.

One morning we awaken, however, and find that familiar one gone, no longer at our side. We walk through the very beginning steps of grief, numbly, and once the initial shock of loss has left us, we realize that the mornings alone are but a beginning to a life lived without the one on whom we have depended for so long. The one with whom we had planned a future is no longer there to share and shape the hopes and dreams of coming years. This sorrowful realization can be devastating, but take heart. In time, with the support of friends and family, pastoral counseling, and perhaps even in joining some of the dozens of chapters available to widows, the road to finding purpose becomes easier. Like so many other aspects of our lives, we tend to find comfort and reassurance by interacting with those who are in similar straights. Contacts with widowed or single friends are often a very good beginning; they have traveled already the road we are just beginning. We are not alone in our sorrow and confusion.

The Battle of Loneliness

The toughest battle, perhaps? In the hearts of many widows, the answer is a resounding yes. The quiet in a home of two people is much, much different than the quiet found when we are alone, very often for the first time in our entire adult lives. Being at home, enjoying a peaceful afternoon alone with no interruptions, is a welcomed respite; being at home with the knowledge that the front door will not be opened at five o’clock can be totally overwhelming.

Even the sound of the newspaper being flipped through can be a comforting sound, or, small as it seems, the shuffling of another through the rooms of our home. These are things we take for granted through the years of marriage and togetherness, these sounds. Once alone, the quiet from the disappearance of these familiar sounds can be deafening. When our children leave and go out on their own, there is a quietness we have not experienced in many years; there is also, though, still another with whom to share the peace. When a spouse dies, we are alone. We hear only our own footsteps, our own voice; after years of togetherness we no longer hear the comforting words of a spouse, to which we have grown accustomed.

Once again, we can find support from our friends and family, and from those who once walked the quiet road themselves. Many times, our pride will not allow us to phone those who would at a moment’s notice be grateful for the opportunity to visit. These are the same people we have known and loved for years, and have loved and enjoyed us, in return. While there are some who find themselves uncomfortable in not quite knowing what to say and what not to say, the majority of our close friends and family have no such qualms. An hour’s visit on a lonely Friday or Saturday evening can do wonders for the loneliness that can at times be literally overwhelming. Some good advice here is warranted: It helps no one to sit and be lonely when there are good friends and family with whom to share time and happy memories. If you find that Sunday afternoons are too much to bear, try faithfully each week to plan an activity for that time. It can be passed with a movie and a friend, a long-distance call to a favorite niece or nephew you don’t often get to visit, or volunteering. If you have children and they are able, Sunday afternoons are a perfect time to have them over for supper or a piece of pie. In our attempt at conquering loneliness, often times we find ourselves the maker of plans rather than on the receiving end of an invitation; it seems wise to accept this. It makes no sense to let our pride stand in the way of finding comfort when it is so needed.

The Holidays

Part of our lives since childhood, holidays are a time for family and friends and the comfort we find in sharing these special times with those we love. Memories abound and when we are fortunate enough to have our families and spouses to share such happy times, holidays can be one of the most comforting of times. When we find ourselves alone after the loss of our spouse, however, they can be very far indeed from comforting. They can find us depressed and feeling unwhole.

Many widows report that by choosing to take a small vacation during the holidays they can escape a bit of the pain and loneliness that accompanies these special times. Whether it be spending a few days with one’s children or making plans to stay with close friends, it is important to have company if the holidays are especially rough. While we may still find them difficult to experience, being with those who care for us can help much in lightening our burdens.

Seeking Help

We are so fortunate to live in this day of compassionate resources; not too long ago it was almost impossible to find any type of support group, or even information, for the needs of widows. That is certainly not true of today.

Public libraries have entire sections of books and guides devoted to widows; devoted also to answering many difficult questions and issues that arise from the burdens that often accompany such an unexpected life change. Many of these guides offer support from women who have also experienced the anguish and confusion of being left on one’s own after so many years of togetherness with a spouse. Their stories are often told forthright, in their own words, and offer good, common sense advice on learning how to cope on your own.

Your local church or synagogue can be an oasis in your search for finding solid, recommended groups or clubs that serve the needs of widows. Most churches have outreach programs that help connect those in need to the very support groups that were created with them in mind. Even if you are not a member of a church or synagogue, you may find help in locating these wonderful groups. Most church secretaries or even pastors are more than happy to pass along the names of volunteers who so unselfishly give of their time and efforts to help ease the load for those in need.

There is an organization known as Oasis that serves the needs of those fifty-five and older. It is a national organization, and one that comes highly recommended. They offer through the help of thousands of volunteers hundreds of workshops and lectures on a very wide variety of subjects, including discussions on widowhood and its aspects. There is a very small fee in becoming a member; well worth it for the outstanding programs and workshops they offer, most of them free after having paid your membership dues.

Not only are there classes, offering everything from macramé lessons to Civil War history, but by becoming part of a group that holds the same interests and desires, it becomes much easier to form friendships. By taking part, when you’re ready, you are taking one of the first steps in creating a new life on your own. New paths are created when we make new friends with whom we have much in common.

Life cannot again be the same after we lose a spouse, but it can be enjoyed and treasured. With time and friendship we may carve out a new and comforting path to not only contentment, but to happiness, also.