INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Your significant other loved (and still loves) her departed spouse. The loss will always maintain some level of presence in her life. If you are going to be in a relationship with her, you will have to keep mindful of this fact, cope with it, and learn how to support her as best you can. Understand that it’s okay to be uncomfortable at first. Death is already a touchy subject. It becomes even harder to digest when a death affects someone you care about. Avoid the temptation to shrug these feelings away. These are precious belongings and your partner has the right to own these keepsakes. Be respectful instead of hostile, and try to avoid interpreting these items as a threat to you and your relationship. Should the two of you move in together in the future, you can mutually discuss what happens with these items. Let your partner express her thoughts and feelings about her loss. While it’s okay to feel uncomfortable, you should try to keep a sensitive and open mindset regarding your partner’s feelings. Avoiding the issue won’t help you, your partner, or your relationship.  There will be moments that trigger memories of the deceased for your partner. If she wants to share those memories with you, listen openly and patiently. Encourage her to share these thoughts with you. In doing this, she is showing that she wants to bond with you. Engage with your partner during these moments of conversation. Show her that you’re listening by making eye contact and nodding encouragingly. Keep your ears and mind open. Don’t be afraid to try and learn more about your significant other’s deceased partner. Try to learn more about what kind of person they were and the life they shared with your partner. For instance, you could say, “It sounds like you had a wonderful time in Barbados. What other trips did you and George take together?” or “What were Derek’s hobbies?” Inquiring about them shows your partner that you care. Sometimes your partner will resist sharing her grief with you. Don’t push her to open up if she is not yet willing. Some aspects of her relationship with her late partner, such as the events surrounding their death or their last few days of life, may still be too painful to share. She will talk to you about the past only when she is emotionally prepared to. Never call your significant other’s late partner her “ex.” By using that word, you imply that her relationship ended by choice rather than an unfortunate and damaging event. Instead, refer to the spouse as “late,” “deceased,” or “departed.” You may be tempted to offer comfort by suggesting your significant other’s departed spouse is “at peace” or “is no longer suffering.” Take heed of the fact that these common sayings often fail to soothe feelings of grief. No matter the circumstances of the death or your partner’s current attempts to move forward, a part of her still yearns for the life she could still have with her late partner. Better ways to offer comfort would be to say “I know this is painful for you. Would you like to talk about it?” Alternatively, you could say, “I'm always here if you need some company.” Show your support by offering to be there when your partner needs it. Even seemingly innocuous events may trigger sad moments for your partner. The sight of her late partner’s favorite food at the grocery store or a commercial of their favorite TV show may sadden your partner every so often. Ride these moments out with her, and don’t get exasperated with her for feeling upset. These moments are a completely normal part of grief, even several years after a loss. Birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and death anniversaries may be hard for your partner. The most you can do is be there. Ask her if there is anything she would like to do to commemorate the date. Always ask first if she's looking for some company or if she'd rather be alone. If she says she wants to be alone, respect that. You may want to look up the symptoms of complicated grief as part of your research on mourning and loss. This can include extreme grief reactions on a daily basis for several months, changes in sleep and diet, and deep yearning to be with the departed loved one - sometimes to the point of self-harm. Help your partner find professional support if her grief has escalated to this level.

SUMMARY: Acknowledge the deceased spouse’s place in your partner’s life. Accept your partner's right to keep tokens of the deceased. Don’t brush off conversations about your significant other’s deceased partner. Respect moments when your partner wants to grieve alone. Take care in how you refer to the deceased spouse. Avoid using common platitudes to comfort your partner. Be mindful of your partner’s emotional highs and lows. Respect her grief during special occasions and anniversaries. Recommend therapy to your partner if her grief seems severely prolonged.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This will remove the original file or text when you paste it in a new location. You can only cut one selection at a time; if you copy something else before pasting, it will overwrite the first copy. The “Cut” shortcut for each operating system is:  Windows and Linux: Ctrl+X  Mac OS X: ⌘ Command+X If you are pasting text, place the cursor where you want to the text to be pasted. If you are pasting files, open the location of where you want to paste. Make sure that the window you are pasting into has focus. This will paste everything you had previously cut into the location you have active. You can Paste the cut material multiple times. The “Paste” shortcut for each operating system is:  Windows and Linux: Ctrl+V  Mac OS X: ⌘ Command+V

SUMMARY:
Press the “Cut” keyboard shortcut. Navigate to where you want to paste. Press the “Paste” keyboard shortcut.