Listen to my words, give meaning to my sorrow: a study in cognitive constructs in middle-age bereaved widows

This research examined how women widowed in midlife give meaning to the experience of loss in the process of grief resolution following the first year of bereavement. Qualitative data were gathered from women between the ages of 51 and 56 through interviews guided by critical reflection. Six themes emerged in the meaning-making process: emotional dissonance, identification of previously held assumptions, reflections on current life experiences-testing the assumptions, identification of self as survivor, changes in sense of self and ways of knowing, and changes in perspectives. Findings indicated that the crisis of loss challenged basic assumptions about self, relationships, and life options and initiated a need to find new perspectives that would incorporate loss and provide for meaningful life direction. Perspective transformation began to occur after the first year following loss, when the initial crisis of survival and anguish had abated, and was most effectively achieved several years after the death. Implications are presented for the bereaved, practitioners who assist the bereaved, adult educators, and researchers.