The Widowed Life: Picking the Perfect Theme Song

I have to tell you I am firmly in the “I’d-rather-laugh-than-cry” camp. You may not be, and that’s a-ok and perfectly understandable.

It took me more than two years before I could even think about joking about being a widow because it seemed so horribly offensive to my husband and our circumstances. However, I am now to the point where laughter is my coping mechanism (although I confess to worrying people will take it the wrong way).

So with all that out of the way, hopefully you will not think me too flippant when I say it seems like widows should have a theme song. One like…

Or perhaps…

Although not actually a full song, I regularly find myself channeling my inner Princess Vespa..

But I think my favorite has to be this one. Just the right amount of angst, guitar and drums:

I know, I know. These songs are really about break-ups and heartaches of the less permanent kind, but they’ll have to do for my purposes. For whatever reason, life seems a bit more bearable with a soundtrack running in the background.

What do you think?

2 Comments

    1. What do you know about the new as benefit changes? Will file and suspend effect widows? I became a widow 7 years ago after 36 years of marriage. I am still working and plan to until age 68. My plan was when I turn 66 in June to take my husband’s social security benefits then switch to mine at age 68. The new laws make it sound like I cannot do that now but I’m not finding info on widows, it’s only talking about live spouses or ex-spouses. I’m applying for as benefits in March for June payment and will continue to work 2 more years.

      1. Hi Janelle,

        My understanding is that nothing has changed for widows whose husbands died prior to filing for Social Security retirement benefits. File and suspend doesn’t apply to our situations because we don’t have a spouse who can file. Widows and widowers can file for a reduced survivors benefit as early as age 60, but it looks like you need to wait until your full retirement age to get the full benefit. Here’s what the Social Security Administration has to say about it:

        https://www.ssa.gov/planners/survivors/survivorchartred.html

        So your plan should work. You can take your survivor benefits at age 66 and then switch to your own benefits anytime up until age 70.

        I’m going to do some more research, and if I find out anything differently, I’ll let you know. It’s also always a good idea to consult with a finance professional who is familiar with Social Security survivors benefits. My response is just general information on the topic, and a professional would be able to review all the details of your situation and give more exact advice.

        Hope this is helpful!

        Maryalene

Comments are closed.