The Widow's and Widower's Might

When I got into work this morning I listened to two messages left last week on my phone. They were from a woman who is a recent widow.

Last week I wrote a story about this woman's husband. He was a local doctor that spent more than 50 years serving his community. He died of natural causes, and it was not a surprise to the family.

In fact, this man knew he would be passing soon and planned a "celebration" to remember his life. It was typical of the man -- he thought of others before himself for his entire life. Even when death was near, he was more concerned with his friends and family. He made sure that the burden of his passing was light.

Anyway, the man was beloved by many, so I was asked to write a story about him that was put on the front page of the paper.

I called the widow back this morning and she expressed deep gratitude to me for the article on her husband, saying it had captured the essence of who he was.

I was impressed that in her time of mourning this woman's instinct was to reach out. Clearly, her husband was not the only special soul in the family.

Last month my neighbor lost his wife to cancer. Her passing was relatively quick and unexpected. I wanted to stop by and talk with him in the weeks leading up to her death but there was a constant stream of visitors.

I received periodic updates about her condition through local church leaders. When she passed there were many who wanted to lift her husband's burdens. I was impressed at all the people who set aside their personal interests to help make sure the family had a post-funeral meal.

The thing that impressed me the most is that my neighbor insisted on calling all of his friends and fellow church members to personally deliver the news.

Losing a spouse is not easy. I'm confident that spouses left behind don't look upon their situation as a way to show their character. That just happens naturally in good people.