Did you know...
- Only 5% of widows in the US are under 40? I was 33 when I was widowed.
- Young widows often have small kids, and life is overwhelming. Grief often gets put on the back burner until it gets too big to ignore.
- Single parenting is different as a widow. You don’t get a break like you do in a two parent household or a divorce. You have to intentionally carve out time without your kids and make sure you are getting adult conversations.
- Young widows need support, community, encouragement, and love. We feel like we don’t fit in anywhere.
I am thankful for the support and community I had after Jon passed:
- I have a wonderful family who checked on me regularly and made sure I was OK. They would visit and help out with things around my house. And they would encourage me to continue to take my grief and sadness to Christ.
- I have dear friends who offered to take my kids when I needed a break. They listened without expectation or judgment and let me grieve how I needed to.
- I had a church that surrounded me and helped with practical things like mowing the lawn and making sure my car got an oil change. And 15 years later, they still tell stories of Jon, who was one of their pastors.
- I received good counseling that helped me get unstuck from my grief and move forward with life, even though at times it felt impossible.
Widowhood is a hard road full of overwhelm and exhaustion, and having people who care and reach out is essential. Even when we, as widows, don’t have the capacity to ask for help.
If you know a young widow, please reach out to her. She needs what you have to offer, whether that’s a listening ear, a meal, or an oil change for her car. Be Christ’s hands and feet to her.
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