Grief counselor David Kessler says setting up a widowed friend on a date won't fix their grief. Some remarry, some don't. What matters is respecting their timeline and offering presence instead of pushing romance, which often says more about your discomfort than their needs.
If you think setting up your widowed friend on a date is a good idea, this message might be for you. How many movies have we seen where the person in grief is in so much pain and hopeless, and then they meet the right person and their grief is over? They're happy again. It's a common myth that the way to get someone out of their grief after a spouse or partner has died is to help them fall in love again. Not everyone after a spouse dies is going to fall in love again. For some they might, for some they might not. It's not everyone's future. The best thing we can do is support them in their timing, where they are in their grief journey. The tougher thing, I wonder if sometimes our need to fix them up is because their grief makes us uncomfortable. We might be oversimplifying things, but Real life and real grief are not a rom-com. And you're right, your friend may need some more companionship. So what if you showed up more, rather than push them into a romance? Let me know your thoughts and follow for more help and support.
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