For the past 5 years, I have written about National Widow’s Day, started by the organization Widow Wednesday in 2014 as sort of a reminder for people to help out the widows and widowers in their own lives. [To see my posts from previous years, click here, here, here, and here.]

The basics are these: find a widow/widower in your life, your community, wherever, and be/do what they need today. It could be stopping by to mow someone’s lawn, bring them some freshly-baked cookies, or simply visit for awhile. You might notice a neighbor’s mailbox needs to be uprighted, or you discover they need a ride to the doctor’s office or grocery store, or you realize it has been some time since you last chatted.

None of these things need to be expensive or time consuming, and they certainly aren’t meant to add more stress to your own life, but rather it’s a way to take a bit of burden off someone who has suffered a loss.

Depending on the situation and the age of the individual, these gestures could be almost anything. Someone fresh in their grief might need more than someone who lost someone a decade or two ago. A young widow(er) would probably appreciate some help with the children, while an older widow(er) might appreciate minor repairs or household chores a bit more.

Bottom line, there really is no one way to recognize the day, just as there is no one way to grieve. Today is meant to bring awareness that, even as time passes and the pain becomes more dull, individuals who have lost their spouses appreciate knowing that someone thought of them, and cared enough to let them know. Let them know…

xoxo

Cheri G

To learn more about the mission behind Widow Wednesday, please visit their page here.