When your lover was gone, did you feel obligated to remain alone?

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A man lost his wife of fifteen years when she died of cancer. It was only 3 weeks before he and I met for the first time and we started a relationship. He spoke often of his departed wife and obviously missed her terribly. He never seemed to feel guilty about carrying on a new life and relationship with me. When that same friend died, it was a long time before I could think about going out with someone again, but eventually I did date and eventually marry. My uncle married his second wife a few years after his first wife died and they had a wonderful marriage until he died recently. My father died in 1994, and my mother has never even dated let alone thought about having any long term relationships. What is proper? Is it right to wait a certain time after your mate dies? Is it right to just carry on with life and love again? Is it simply up to the individual?