It makes me sad that I no longer have those social opportunities, but I guess I’ve gotten used to it. I do my best not to isolate myself. But, I’m also careful where I go. I don’t force myself to go to places where I know there is a high likelihood I will leave feeling sad and depressed. I pick and choose my social engagements.
As I said at the start of the chapter, according to my grief counselor, the desire to isolate is common for grieving people. I suspect the degree of isolation and the desire to isolate are somewhat dependent on your personality though. I was relatively social before Reg died. I spent most of my time with him, and he usually accompanied me to most dinners or social gatherings. But, I was also content just being at home with him. My personality was a combination of introvert and extrovert. Now, I’m much more introverted. I’ve observed that my widow friends who were more introverted before the deaths have become even more introverted and isolated themselves more.
On the other hand, my extroverted widow friends have not isolated themselves as much, even immediately after their partners’ deaths. They’ve still attended gatherings, sought interactions with friends, and had the desire to be out in the world. Depending on your personality, therefore, you may or may not relate to this chapter.
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