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Health & Fitness

The Death of a Spouse at a Young Age

All losses are difficult, yet, some are more difficult than others. The loss of a spouse at a young age is one of the more difficult losses. It’s often unexpected, and so much lies ahead. Here’s a blog post written by one of our grief support coordinators on this very topic. She offers some great advice that I thought I would share. You can see the complete entry on the Arbor Hospice blog.

When we get married, many of us expect to live into old age with our spouses. The death of a spouse early in their life leads to a unique bereavement experience for the survivor. When a spouse dies in their 30s, 40s or 50s, they leave behind someone who is much younger than our typical widowed population. Many are parents of very young or school-aged children. The surviving spouse is tasked with newfound singledom and the reality that the hopes and dreams of growing old with their partner will no longer be fulfilled.

This new role as a single young person can lead to protest from the survivor, a very understandable reaction after being robbed of one's partner in life and co-parent. This experience can feel unfair; it was not one's choice to be single and deal with the responsibilities that two once shared. The experience can be isolating; many grief groups for widow and widowers are geared to an older population who is in an entirely different life stage. The loss of a young spouse is overwhelming; young bereaved spouses have work and child-rearing opportunities that often leave little time to grieve. Finally, even in the face of extreme loneliness, many survivors find it difficult to even think about dating again, much less find the time to do so.

Fortunately, there are resources available if you or someone you care about is struggling with this type of loss. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it may be a good place to begin.

See the rest of this blog entry on the Arbor Hospice blog.

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