Dear Prudence,
I was married for six years to the love of my life. I lost him to septic shock in December of 2016. I was completely devastated at the time, but through counseling and grief support, I’m doing much better. My parents, my children, and especially my sister keep asking me when I’m going to start dating again. I’ve tried saying I’m not ready, and I get “But you’re so young!” I’m 50. Honestly, I have no desire to date again. It’s been 17 months since I lost the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. How do I get through to them that I need time and will make the decision for myself? This issue is compounded by the fact that my family didn’t care for my husband, so they think if they’re over it, I should be too.
—Unready Widow