A widow's plight

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Burials remind us of how fragile the human condition is. When a husband dies, the widow doesn’t only think of the loss that she is faced with, but also the loneliness and social isolation ahead of her. Here in Nigeria, some cultures will accuse a woman of being a witch, of killing her husband, even while she is still grieving. Some require her to wear black or white clothes for some specified number of days and to eat dung as proof that she has no hand in the death of her husband. Particularly troubling for a widow is the fact that her companion is no longer there. She has to start living afresh as a single person. This causes them loneliness and makes the healing process elongated. Personally, I have pity for widows. Why am I thinking these thoughts? I saw a widow today and she looked very lonely. I could see the isolation and pain in her eyes. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to say a wrong word. What about you, how do you feel about widows? Do they need special assistance?