At 65 years old, women are three times as likely as their same-age male counterparts to be widowed. And, in contrast to men, older women were twice as likely to live alone.
Older widows are usually more content to stay single than older widowers. They are often tired from looking after their late spouse and they see remarriage as having to take care of somebody else.
Devotion to a deceased husband may also keep them single but they still go through various levels of loneliness. While the severity and time span depends on the individual, living alone can increase their feelings of depression.
One of the reasons why older widows may stay single could simply be that as they get older there are fewer men to date. Getting used to living alone is hard and acceptance is needed to free a widow to live a new life with new interests.
Living alone or with a new love is a personal choice. The choice you make doesn’t matter so much as to the reasons why. Make your choice based on what your heart tells you and not on loneliness or need.
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