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Emerging from the chrysalis. Older widows in transition
Widowhood is not a similarly negative transition for all women. For some, it may represent a release from significant stressors and obligations. Some older widows have spent many years attending to the needs of others to the extent that their identities prior to caregiving have been submerged or forgotten. For some women, widowhood brings the freedom to rediscover their identities, establish independent goals, and take on new challenges. Such women may be hesitant to acknowledge to others the positive side of widowhood. Nurses can support widows in various circumstances by revising their pessimism about widowhood and by supporting widows in their efforts to grow and learn.
Widowhood is not a similarly negative transition for all women. For some, it may represent a release from significant stressors and obligations. Some older widows have spent many years attending to the needs of others to the extent that their identities prior to caregiving have been submerged or forgotten. For some women, widowhood brings the freedom to rediscover their identities, establish independent goals, and take on new challenges. Such women may be hesitant to acknowledge to others the positive side of widowhood. Nurses can support widows in various circumstances by revising their pessimism about widowhood and by supporting widows in their efforts to grow and learn.