The Lived Experience of Mommy-Widows

Abstract

American middle-class widows in the midst of their conjugal bereavement raising dependent children are a demographic largely unrecognized in this country. Because of this, there is little research about their lived experience available to assist those looking for ways to support this group—whether it be the widows themselves, family and friends, or the academic community. In order to better serve this demographic and understand their lived experiences within the framework of mommy-widowhood, the more intimate interview process of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized for this study. Much of the data revealed common themes within the context of the general grieving process that is available in grief and death literature. However, a significant portion of the data revealed the nuanced complexities that occur in the grief process when a woman is left to care for her dependent and grieving children during her own bereavement process.