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Moving Forward After Losing My Husband: Seeking Advice as a 26-Year-Old Widow

Ravi

Ravi Mittal  |677 Answers  |Ask -

Dating, Relationships Expert - Answered on Sep 24, 2024

Ravi Mittal is an expert on dating and relationships.
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Asked by Anonymous - Aug 19, 2024Hindi
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Hi sir, I am 26 Female widow with no children and I am working. My husband passed away recently due to illness. I am not able to move on in my life. Each and everyday I feel like can’t start my day without him. Living, but it feels like I am dead. What should I do now?

Ans: Dear Anonymous,

Losing your spouse can be very harsh. I understand how difficult it must be to keep going. But that's just it, you have to keep going. I wish I had some quick fix or remedy to help you soothe the pain, but the only way out is through. I can ask you to hang out with loved ones, focus on yourself, pick up a hobby, or a myriad of other advice, but I am sure you have tried them all. But here's what you might not have tried yet and should definitely try- please see a professional counselor. It can help you lift some weight off your chest. They can guide you in navigating your emotions in a structured manner and every day, little by little, things will get better. Please do it for yourself. You are still alive and you have a big, wonderful life ahead of you.

Best Wishes.

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Anu

Anu Krishna  |1746 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Aug 12, 2021

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I am unable to overcome the guilt and grief of losing my father due to Covid since a year now. My guilt and grief is only increasing daily. I feel suicidal everyday almost most of the time. I have a younger brother, younger sister and mom. I am only alive, but I am ready to die any moment. Just holding on somehow because I am worried about my family. What should I do as I only feel deep sadness and guilt and I am unable to work and support my family.
Ans: Dear S, your grief is personal to you and I can only imagine what you must be going through.

Loved ones leave us to grieve after them and we only go deeper into that well of grief.

But I want you ask yourself this: Will my father be happy to see me this way?

Is this why he raised me to see me in grief?

Is my family happy seeing me like this?

Can I do anything to get myself to a better state of mind?

Suicide is never ever an option.

Every life must be celebrated just like you celebrated your father’s life when he was with you.

Continue in that; celebrate him, relive memories with him and talk to people about what a wonderful human he was.

Pass on his values that rest in you and your siblings to whoever you meet and that will help you remember him for all the beautiful things that he brought into your lives.

Call for a family gathering and each of you talk about him fondly and how he added value in your lives.

Celebrate people when they live and celebrate their memories when they leave you.

Grieve but don't ever give up. Your father would want to see you move on and live and thrive.

Happy rebirthing to you.

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Anu

Anu Krishna  |1746 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on May 18, 2021

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I lost my father when I was 17 and was raised by my mother all these years. Last year, I lost my mother to COVID. I am the only child and don't have any siblings. I am 36 and not married. I don't have a boyfriend, neither am I in a serious relationship. After my parents' death, am being pressured into marriage by my relatives but I am not ready. I am in touch with a few cousins and friends but I don't feel any better talking to them. I may be wrong but I feel that they're either too sympathetic or trying too hard to be positive and cheerful. It's hard to explain to anyone how I am feeling right now. There are days when I feel completely alone, lonely and wish I had a sibling or someone who would understand me without having to explain anything. My colleagues are supportive but I am not able to focus at work either. I tried taking a few days off but there is a void and sense of loneliness that I am unable to overcome. I don't know how to make sense of this situation. Can you help?
Ans: Dear P, how exactly do you want to feel? What exactly do you want currently? It is imperative for you to know that we all go through phases in life; some are happy ones and some are not-so-happy ones.

But do know that, these phases are not permanent and that they do have an expiry date on them.

The key to this is with you. How long do you want to lock in that feeling of loneliness or helplessness?

Does it help you to think whether your relatives are sympathising with you? What if they really are caring for you?

Sibling or no sibling, our life is ours and a journey that we must take. And marriage is a decision that is yours to make; you don’t need to yield into any pressure or get yourself to believe that it will drive away your loneliness.

What did you do earlier to move away from loneliness?

How did you keep yourself occupied? Was it a new hobby or could it have been learning a new skill?

Sometimes, doing something absolutely NEW can help de-focus from what we are dealing with currently.

On a long-term thinking, do know that every phase gives rise to a new one.

Join support groups online or any valid meet up group that can bring in some fresh new perspectives.

Connect with old friends. Choose how you want to feel now and move in that direction.

Surround yourself only with happy people and happy thoughts all the time. It does help.

Office colleagues can double up as a good support group, if you are fine sharing your inner feelings with someone that you are close to.

If that isn’t an option, then old friends can do the job really well. But it is important to talk to someone and release what’s holding you back and keeping you away from what you want to feel and what you want to do. All the best.

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Anu

Anu Krishna  |1746 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on May 18, 2023

Asked by Anonymous - Apr 27, 2023Hindi
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I am 42 year old married woman. I was attached to my father very much. I lost him suddenly in 2021 by covid. He was fit and fine. I never thought he could left us like this. I feel very lonely , empty & completely of no desire for anything in life. I feel guilty and bad that the way my father struggled alone in ICU ward in his final days & we could not do anything for him. No one could met him & even saw him. I could not hugged him & even touched his body to say to goodbye in crematorium. Life got completely changed for me now. I am doing a job in which I working for very long time but not getting noticed or promoted so I feel sidelined by my seniors. I feel no use to work there or even anywhere now. I feel mentally I am tired to handle any pressure now. I am thinking to quit it to get some mental peace but not sure what I will do in free time. I have few marriage issues also & don't have any kids. I want to spend time alone & not even with my husband. Now I just want to live my life peacefully & happily without expecting anything from anyone. Tell me if I am correct or need to improve my way of thinking.
Ans: Dear Anonymous,
I am truly very sorry for your loss. It might have been very difficult at not having that closure right at the end to process your loss your way. I can only imagine what you must be going through even now.

This heavy heartedness has most likely caused you to lose interest in many things in life including your work life. Even things that were simple to handle might have become too much to deal with. You need to heal by grieving and slowly going into acceptance. Is this hard? Oh yes, but with the help of someone who specializes in grief counselling and therapy, you can heal through this. This doesn't mean that you have to forget your father; it only means you process what has happened to transition into a better mind space. This will help you get a grip over your life for what it is now and like all of us, you deserve to be happy and at peace. Do consider this option and see an expert; it will really help you...

All the best and do know that this too shall Pass!

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Anu

Anu Krishna  |1746 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Oct 09, 2023

Asked by Anonymous - Sep 30, 2023Hindi
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Hi, I am a 53 years old male, lost my loving wife last year who was 46, I do have 2 kids who are into higher studies now aged 22 and 18, off late have been feeling very lonely and upset and have not been able to forget my late wife, life seems to be too useless now. Many a times i think of having a new partner for the rest of my life then these feelings also die down. Am quiet worried as to how I will be able to live second half of my life as sooner or later the children will be busy in their own lives, what to do?
Ans: Dear Anonymous,
I am truly sorry for your loss...
The journey of grief is so different for each person and you can feel alright on one day and devastated on another day...Give your self ample time to grieve and speak about her; it will be painful but the more you allow yourself to speak about her, you will notice that you are closer to accepting the fact of your loss...it is a journey, so do take your time...
But in the meantime, do make sure that you do take help in the form of a support system of your family and friends. Yes, they do have their own lives but I am sure that they will step in kindly when it is required.
Also, you might find that you socially isolate yourself and move away from everything that used to give you joy. You must find a way of getting back to all of those things reminding yourself that you must live your life too...this is initially a way of filling the vacuum, but soon you will find that it does more that just distract you.

Finding another life partner is a decision that is yours to make; but I will suggest that you heal from the loss and then if and when you feel the time is right, you may seek a life partner. But right now, all you will do is find a huge respite to fill in your loneliness and not be able to form a connection with that person. So, take care of yourself first, heal well and then slowly make life-altering decisions.

All the best...I am sure you can do this!

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Anu

Anu Krishna  |1746 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Aug 20, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Aug 11, 2024Hindi
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Iam a widow of 37 years who recently lost my hus of 37 years due to silent heart attack. It was all of a sudden incident and he was a military person having no health issues.This really shocked our entire family. He expired on June 1st 2024 and I am in a deep trauma. I dont know wat to do and always thinking of committing suicide with my children. I cant live without my hus, he is such a caring , loving hus and an amazing father for my children. I dont want to live anymore.I want to go ..I dont want anything from this life. I have two children one daughter of 7 years and son of 1 year. I cant lead a peaceful life hereafter.I want to go and have to join back with my husband.I dont know what to do?Ourself is love marriage and I cant came out from this trauma.. I am in a deep deep depression. I thought it would be Ok as days pass by....but its vetting more worse as each day passes by... please help me out from this...
Ans: Dear Anonymous,
I am truly sorry for your loss...this is a very challenging period in your life and I can't even imagine how you must feel...
I can only request you to pull yourself together for the sake of your children and YES, they need you now more than ever. And you need someone who can help you through this.
My suggestion is: To work with someone who can will guide you through this Grief. Does this mean that you will get over this? NO, you are always going to feel the void of your husband BUT the way you channel the sadness, the grief is what this expert will help you do...it is necessary and I wish I could hold your hand at this very moment and tell you to take this one day at a time and NEVER GIVE UP. Your loving husband would never want you to do that.
Live one day, one moment at a time. Each moment will bring in different colors of emotions; flow with it...and this gets a bit better with someone guiding you through it...
Please Please, seek HELP...Ask a family member who can emotionally be your strength to live with you and help you with the children as well.
Life has its mysterious ways of working and sometimes it can get very unfair. But, how you negotiate it, be there for the children and allow them to be there for you with their love and smiles. Seek HELP and NOW...
I am not going to say get better OR you that you will get over it...But I will say: You are going to pull through this; give yourself that chance, please...

All the best!
Anu Krishna
Mind Coach|NLP Trainer|Author
Drop in: www.unfear.io
Reach me: Facebook: anukrish07/ AND LinkedIn: anukrishna-joyofserving/
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Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |10858 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Dec 16, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 13, 2025Hindi
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Hello sir I have literally confused between which university to pick if not good marks in mht cet Like sit Pune or srm college or rvce or Bennett as I am planning to study here bachelors and masters in abroad so is it better to choose a government college which coep and them if I get them my home college which Kolhapur institute of technology what should I choose a good university? If yes than which
Ans: Based on my extensive research of official college websites, NIRF rankings, international recognition metrics, placement data, and masters abroad admission requirements, your choice between COEP Pune, RVCE Bangalore, SRM Chennai, Bennett University Delhi, and Kolhapur Institute of Technology (KIT) fundamentally depends on five critical institutional aspects essential for successful masters admission abroad: global research output and international collaborations, CGPA-based competitiveness (minimum 7.5-8.0 required for top international programs), faculty expertise in emerging technologies, international student exchange partnerships, and proven alumni track records at globally-ranked universities. COEP Pune ranks nationally at NIRF #90 Engineering with India Today #14 Government Category ranking, offering robust infrastructure and 11 academic departments with research centers in AI and renewable energy, though international research collaborations are moderate compared to IITs. RVCE Bangalore demonstrates strong national standing with consistent COMEDK admissions competitiveness, excellent placements averaging Rs.35 LPA with highest at Rs.92 LPA, and established international collaborations through Karnataka PGCET-based MTech programs, providing solid foundations for masters applications. SRM Chennai maintains extensive research partnerships with 100+ companies visiting campus, highest packages reaching Rs.65 LPA, and documented international research linkages through sponsored programs like Newton Bhaba funded projects, significantly strengthening masters abroad candidacy through diverse research exposure. Bennett University Delhi distinctly outperforms others in international institutional alignment, recording highest placements at Rs.137 LPA with average Rs.11.10 LPA, explicit academic collaborations with University of British Columbia Canada, Florida International University USA, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of Essex England, and King's University College Canada—these partnerships directly facilitate seamless masters transitions abroad and represent unparalleled institutional bridges to international graduate programs. KIT Kolhapur records respectable placements at Rs.41 LPA highest with average Rs.6.5 LPA, NAAC A+ accreditation, autonomous institutional status under Shivaji University, and 90%+ placement consistency across technical streams, though international research visibility and foreign university partnerships remain comparatively limited. For international masters admission success, universities globally prioritize bachelors institution reputation, minimum CGPA 7.5-8.0 (Bennett and SRM facilitate this through curriculum rigor), GRE/GATE scores (minimum 90 percentile), English proficiency (TOEFL ≥75 or IELTS ≥6.5), research output documentation, and faculty recommendation quality reflecting institution's research culture—criteria most strongly supported by Bennett's explicit international collaborations, SRM's documented research partnerships, and COEP's autonomous departmental research centers. Bennett simultaneously offers global pathway programs reducing masters abroad costs through articulation agreements and provides curriculum aligned internationally with partner institution standards, representing optimal intermediate bridge structure versus direct masters application. The cost-effectiveness and structured transition support through international partnerships, combined with demonstrated placement success and faculty research visibility, position these institutions distinctly above KIT Kolhapur for masters abroad aspirations. For your specific objective of pursuing masters abroad, prioritize Bennett University Delhi first—its explicit international university partnerships with Canadian, American, and European institutions, highest placement packages (Rs.137 LPA), and structured global pathway programs create seamless masters transitions with reduced costs. Second choice: SRM Chennai, offering extensive research collaborations, documented international linkages, and competitive placements (Rs.65 LPA highest) strengthening masters applications. Third: COEP Pune, delivering strong national standing and autonomous research infrastructure. Avoid RVCE and KIT due to limited international visibility and explicit foreign university partnerships compared to the above three institutions. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

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