Widow vs. Widower: How Can Support Systems Be Developed Differently for Each?

Grief wears different faces — and gender often shapes those faces more than we admit. Widows are usually surrounded by sympathy, community, and invitations to talk. Their grief is seen as relational, expressive, and ongoing. They are encouraged to join support groups, to share memories, to rebuild social networks. Widowers, by contrast, are often met with silence. Their grief is assumed to be…