The Power of Grief: Widow Stays by Spouse’s Side after his Death

Liege, Belgium
(Credit: Wikipedia).

When a loved one passes, we suddenly feel our body become susceptible to unimagined emotions associated with death. No one person is exempt from the reality that grief becomes a curious blend of fear, depression, anger and denial that moves in and out of our lives without warning. And as discussed in SevenPonds’s article on the book Griefprints, no two people will experience grief in the same way. For many, grief can mask the comprehension of reality – which was certainly the case for a Belgian widow in Liege.

After his passing, the 69 year old Belgian woman (who remains anonymous) slept beside the body of her beloved for almost a year. “This is not the first time I have made a discovery of this kind,” says one of the Belgian authorities who uncovered the situation, “I’ve been faced with two or three other occasions where people have continued to sleep with their partner [after they’ve passed on].”

Credit: Global News Journal

“This is not the first time [we] have made a discovery of this kind.”

–Belgian authorities

Reflecting on the physical and psychological realities of the Widow’s life during that year is unsettling. But what is perhaps just as unsettling is the fact that it took an entire year for someone – the landlord — to notice what was going on.

Naturally, after realizing his tenants’ rent was late, the couple’s landlord decided to pay them a visit. But not long after arriving, he was forced to call the authorities after finding the Widow’s husband.

Police station in Liege.
(Credit: Nomadic Notes)

The Belgian widow’s insistency to sleep beside her husband is an extreme example of how grief can alter our reality – but it is also a unique reminder for us to be grateful for those we have in our lives, particularly during the grieving process. After the passing of a loved one, it is crucial that family members help one another in their respective paths back to peace and rationality.

“After the passing of a loved one, it is crucial that family members help one another in their respective paths back to peace and rationality.”

More SevenPonds Something Special articles:

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