Struggling with being referred to as a “widow”?
According to our post, I Hate the Word Widow! going through the death of a spouse/partner is difficult enough. As soon as the death occurs though, you’re suddenly labeled by everyone as a “widow”.
As we discussed in Your New Identity, it’s difficult enough just adjusting to no longer being part of a couple, without the pain and stigma of being referred to as a widow.
Unfortunately, there have always been negative stereotypes of what it means to be widowed. Take for instance, this example from literature:
From the novel Middlemarch by George Eliot: "My dear Celia," said Lady Chettam, "a widow must wear her mourning at least a year.”
In order to save face in society, a widow was compelled to announce her loss to the world by her apparel.
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