How to Navigate Loneliness as a Widow: Practical Advice That Works

Comments · 30

• BE

  @betsymierzejewski3754 · 1 year ago

  I am in my 4th year of widowhood and the loneliness is still a struggle. &nbsp;I was 54 when I became a widow and retired two years later which made my &nbsp;social life even smaller. &nbsp;I am an extroverted introvert who was fulfilled with my family, work and getting together with friends 1-2x a month. &nbsp;Husbands is gone, kids are in college and I am working it out. &nbsp;I have to pat myself on the back for trying new things like watercolor classes, &nbsp;doing meetup groups and Timeleft dinners. &nbsp;It is so hard because friends really don’t understand the core loneliness that losing your best friend causes. &nbsp;<br>I also don’t even really want to talk about it with friends who haven’t had this loss because I don’t want people’s pity or them to feel bad for me because I do truly have a good life &nbsp;except missing my husband. &nbsp;Last thought is it is amazing how people quit asking how you’re doing very soon after your loss as if they don’t really want to hear it because it is too messy.

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• OL

  @OldeCronesCorner · 8 months ago

  I Do Not think I can feel like this for a full year let alone the rest of my life!😢

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• JU

  @juanj2978 · 1 month ago

  Thank you so much for this video! &nbsp;It has changed my life! &nbsp;My birthday was last week and I got out of bed feeling depressed. My family lives so far away I knew they could not do anything for me. &nbsp; Then I listened to your podcast and decided to take some action. &nbsp;I realized that no one where I live would know it was my birthday so it wasn&apos;t their fault if they didn&apos;t do something special for me. So, &nbsp;I texted two people, one I knew well and one I had just met, telling them it was my birthday and asking them if they&apos;d like to come over for lunch. &nbsp;I texted two just in case one couldn&apos;t make it last minute. &nbsp;And, I had a plan B: &nbsp;To take myself shopping and out for ice cream. &nbsp;To my great surprise, not one, but both of my friends said they not only wanted to spend time with me THEY wanted to take me &nbsp;shopping and out for lunch and ice cream. &nbsp;I ended up eating ice cream twice that day! &nbsp;What a treat! &nbsp;And, I made a new friend in the acquaintance who now wants to get together again. &nbsp;Both my old friend and my new one told me that they were so grateful I had told them it was my birthday and how bad they would have felt if I hadn&apos;t. &nbsp;I&apos;m so glad I took the risk and made myself reach out. &nbsp;What started out as a day I didn&apos;t know how I was going to get through turned out to be a truly wonderful day!

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• BY

  @byjanice4090 · 1 year ago (edited)

  My husband of 33 years passed away 3 weeks ago and I&apos;m all alone. I don&apos;t have any friends that live in my state. No family they&apos;ve all passed. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

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• MA

  @marilynafox · 1 year ago

  It’s been six years and I do feel abandoned by friends and family. &nbsp;The evenings are especially difficult because I don’t have my best friends to discuss daily issues with. &nbsp;Your podcasts are very helpful and your suggestions are extremely thoughtful. &nbsp;Friends don’t realize how hurtful it is to be left out of situations because I am no longer a “couple.”Somehow these so called friends believe that gatherings are for couples only. &nbsp; True empathy is something few people possess. &nbsp;I will continue to follow your podcasts and thank you for sharing your experiences.

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• PR

  @preshvicky7932 · 11 months ago

  When you lose your soulmate and husband &nbsp;if 34yrs tragically. The shock of a sudden death for me and my young boys and the cruelty of a future taken from him and us. On top of this grief the abandonment by parents and siblings despite being wealthy who watch from sidelines while kids and I suffer and not help. Its not loneliness but how do i make myself want to live if he is not here. He was everything to us. I am an introvert and a cancer patient so scared for my boys as they have no one besides me.

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• DA

  @dancingdog6732 · 1 year ago

  Yes you are correct. I miss my dear husband so much

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• MA

  @marshamagic8551 · 6 months ago

  Very hard

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• MA

  @maybethgaikens7143 · 1 year ago

  Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts... As a new widow of only a few months who has been feeling let down and abandoned by most family and friends, you have given me a lot to think about... I know I am not ready to take action and to step out from under this rock of loneliness yet... But you gave me a perspective that would not have occurred to me on my own... I used to consider myself a fairly strong woman and pretty resilient... But this has pulled the ground out from under me... You are making me realize that it is up to me, to take action against this loneliness, with some very wise suggestions... I really needed this... And I am very grateful to you for reminding me that even though I feel like my life is out of control at this time of my grief... Ultimately it is up to me to LIVE &nbsp;my life... You have just given me some very badly needed hope... Many blessings to you on your own journey of healing❤

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• LI

  @lindamurphy7014 · 3 months ago

  10 months ago my huds band died.<br>Married 54 years since I was 19<br>I feel so lonely. I have friends but they don’t know how much I want to be loved 🥰 again.<br>He was my best friend and confident, will life ever be okay again.?

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• BE

  @bevbeckett6841 · 8 months ago

  My husband has died suddenly and I am bereft,he was my best friend and we did everything together. Both retired so have no social life now. Im not going to cope for &nbsp;much longer its too painful.

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• JO

  @josebrivera1716 · 1 year ago

  How do you help people? Online?