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Note:

Names of people I know have been changed to respect the privacy of those involved. Unless they say it's okay, or I see elsewhere.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

What would I do?

One of my worse fears is wondering what I would do if my husband died young, especially before we have kids. I read an article in next month's Ensign that dealth with a woman whose husband died two months after their daughter was born. So far, she has not been remarried, nor do I think she mentioned anything about the possibility of doing so in the future.
I've often wondered what I would do if Mira were to pass away at such a young age. What makes it worse is that he has fibromyalgia, and there are times I worry and freak out that something will happen and I'll be left a widow, even though I haven't heard about anybody dying because of fibro.
In trying to weigh my options in case, heaven forbid, something happens, I realize that I might have to remain a widow, which is something I don't know if I could handle. I couldn't get sealed again because I've already been sealed once. Even getting married for time only, whether to a member or non-member, has it's drawbacks. If I marry a member and we have children together, to whom would they be sealed? To Mira and I? Or my new husband and I? The same goes if I marry a non-member. What if he decides to join the church? He couldn't be sealed to me because I've already been sealed once. And what would happen if we had children together? It bogles my mind and I pray that I never have to deal with it.
It might be a bit easier if we had kids before he passes into the next stage. Then I'd have my kids to love and wouldn't feel too alone. Being a social widow is difficult enough as it is. When I was younger, I'd look at the couples in my ward and look forward to the day that I would be able to sit next to my husband with his arm around me. And for a while, I was able to. But then he got sick and wasn't able to come to church as often, which has continued for quite a while. Being in the nursery has been a safety for me, though. There have been times where I've sat in the chapel with all the couples and have been saddened because my other half isn't with me. So I set up in the nursery before the sacrament and go into the foyer to receive it, then if I have more work to be done, then I finish up during the rest of the meeting. But if I'm done, I stay in the foyer. It helps me keep my mind off the fact that I'm there alone. I guess it keeps me sane.

3 comments:

fMhLisa said...

I have a lot of sympathy for all the irrational fears that can take over the mind and absorb your thoughts. It happened a lot to me post-partum. I'd worry and worry about the weirdest things. Things not likely to happen, or things I couldn't control.

I'm sure you already know this, but the only advice I have is general . . . this life is for living, and the details of what will happen, theoritically (we have so few solid details), in the next life shouldn't prevent you from making decisions that will make you happy in this life.

We can't really know how the Lord will sort out sealings in the next life. I choose to have faith that our merciful Lord will work things out for the best, and just leave the possible details to sort themselves out.

If you husband did die, and you choose never to marry again for fear of the sealings not working out to everyone's advantage, this doesn't give our Heavenly Father enough credit for having these things figured out and wanting us to be happy and LIVE this life. As opposed to waiting around to start living in the next one.

Eddie said...

I thought I had already commented on this, I guess my mental commenting abilities still need fine tuning!

My wife and I have had this discussion before. It's something I hope I'll never have to worry about... But she wanted know if I would consider getting sealed again.

Naively, my first answer was, "Well, if I prayed about it and it seemed like that was the correct decision." That was incorrect, you see. :) "What, you'd consider getting sealed to someone else?!"

The correct answer that I finally came up with was "How would I have time to meet someone else, since I'll be home lighting candles in front of your shrine every night?"

But seriously, I think Lisa's right... it will all be sorted out according to the Lord's will, and I don't think we'll have any arguments with that.

Robyn said...

My brother died leaving his wife of 8 years, with 4 children under 6. It was an excrutiatingly difficult time for her. She was 28 at the time and I could not even fathom her living alone for so many years. She did re-marry, and it has not been the bliss she experienced with my brother. It has been a marriage but it has also been a struggle.

That said, the decision is yours to make. And until you actually cross that bridge, you'll not know what decision you'll make.

Pray furvently that you never actually have to cross the bridge.