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Losing your spouse changes your whole world. Your better half is gone. You have lost your best friend and lover and processing this might be very hard for you.
Grieving is a very difficult process that everyone handles differently. Some people can't stand to look at anything that reminds them of their deceased loved one because the pain is too much for them to handle. Other people grieve by holding on to the possession left behind by their loved ones for as long as they want to keep the memories. Your wedding ring constantly reminds you of the life and love you shared with your spouse and it is one of your most important accessories.
This article will talk about how to deal with the wedding ring after your spouse passed away.
The Significance of the Wedding Ring
A wedding ring is a symbol of love and commitment between a married couple. Your spouse puts the wedding ring on your finger on your wedding day and from that day it becomes a part of you. There will be a point where you don't even remember you have it on.
When your spouse passes, the bond you shared doesn't go away. But the moment you lose your spouse, the wedding ring becomes a heavy weight on your finger and it extends to your heart. For some people, wearing their wedding ring after the passing of their spouse is a pain that is too much for them to handle. For other people, wearing their wedding ring after the passing of their loved one helps them while they are grieving. Reasons why surviving spouses continue wearing their wedding ring Widows and widowers decide to continue wearing their wedding rings after the loss of their spouses for different reasons.
Help to Keep Alive the Memory of Their Deceased Loved Ones
You look at your wedding ring and it reminds you of your departed spouse. You reminisce about memories you shared with your spouse. The memories shared with your spouse are very special and they can comfort you on the days when you are emotionally downcast. Using a wedding ring as a form of remembrance is a very common practice. If keeping your wedding ring on helps you keep memories of your deceased spouse, then you should keep on wearing it.
Help Them to Feel Safe
You take a lot of important decisions together with your spouse. You do almost everything together and you get so used to doing things together that it becomes very hard to do things alone when they are gone. You can become scared that your partner is no longer with you to do certain things but having your wedding ring on can give you a sense of security when you are feeling lonely or when you get scared. If wearing your wedding ring gives you comfort, then there is nothing wrong with wearing it as long as you feel safe with it.
Feel Guilty Whenever They Take It off
It is common for a grieving spouse to feel guilty about taking off their wedding ring after the death of their partner. This guilt may come because they feel they are betraying the relationship they shared with their spouse. The guilt may also be a result of people's remarks or the fear that people will feel that they have forgotten about their partner or that they did not love their partner.
The truth is that taking off your wedding ring does not translate to any of these things. Whatever your reason for taking off your wedding ring is, it should be your business and you don't need to entertain the opinions of other people. If wearing your wedding ring is causing you heartache and taking it off is making you feel guilty, then the best thing to do in such situations is to resolve what you think your spouse would have wanted.
Remind Themselves and Those Around Them That They Are Not Single
Grieving after the death of a life partner can take a while and you'll need a lot of time to recover before you even decide to consider dating or getting married again. If you take off your wedding ring it might come off as an official message that you are single and that is most likely not the message you are trying to convey then.
The time may come when you finally decide to date or get married again. Before that time make sure you have recovered fully.
7 Things You Can Do with Your Wedding Ring After the Death of Your Spouse
You probably need ideas on what to do with your wedding ring after the death of your partner. Here are seven things you can do with your wedding ring:
1. You Can Redesign It by Adding a Memorial Diamond
Instead of keeping your wedding ring as it is, you can decide to redesign it to give it a new feel. There are a lot of options for redesigning. You give your wedding ring to a quality jeweler and they help you put the stone on a brooch or necklace. You can have your wedding ring melted into a pendant or cut it into several pieces and gift the pieces to your children.
One unique option is adding a memorial diamond to your wedding ring.
You can make a memorial diamond from the cremation ashes or cremated hair of your deceased spouse. You can send the ashes or hair of your deceased spouse to a memorial diamond company and they make your memorial diamond and get it delivered to you.
Most memorial diamond companies offer their clients a lot of options as regards colors, cuts, and carats. It is advisable to go with a colorless diamond because of its simplicity. A memorial diamond company like LONITÉ™ offers the best prices and quality in the memorial diamond market. When your memorial diamond has been delivered to you, you can then go ahead and add it to your wedding ring with the help of a quality jeweler.
2. Change the Position of Your Wedding Ring from Your Left Hand to Your Right Hand
In the United States, United Kingdom, and most parts of Europe, the wedding ring is usually worn on the ring finger. It is a very common practice among widows and widowers to move their wedding ring from the finger on their left hand to the finger on their right hand. Changing the position of your wedding ring to your right hand is often considered the first step in letting go of the past.
For some people it helps them avoid going through pain as wearing the ring on their left hand reminds them of the death of their spouse. Some people after changing the position of their wedding ring to their right hand decide to leave it there indefinitely while other people decide to remove theirs after a while. Those who get to remarry are likely to remove the wedding ring from their previous marriage to avoid conflict or arguments with their new partners.
Moving your wedding ring to your right hand may be an indication from you that you are widowed and a lot of people might interpret it as a signal that you're ready to date again.
3. Wear Your Wedding Ring on a Necklace
You may have a hard time wearing your wedding ring on your finger. One thing you can do is to get a nice neck chain and add your wedding ring as a pendant of some sort.
4. Gift Your Wedding Ring As an Heirloom
If you have children you can consider passing on your wedding ring to them as a gift. You can also include it in your legal will as a form of inheritance. Giving your wedding ring as a gift or inheritance to your children or a family member can give you the satisfaction that the ring is still within the family and now belongs to someone you love.
5. Give Your Wedding Ring a Ceremonial Goodbye
If you are okay with letting go of your wedding ring, you can decide to hold a special ceremony to send it off. You can decide to invite people or hold a private ceremony. You can choose special dates like your partner's birthday or your wedding anniversary or even the date you first met your spouse.
6. Place Your Wedding Ring in a Frame
You can decide to frame your wedding ring. Buy a frame and place both your ring and that of your spouse in the frame. You can also add a picture of you and your spouse in the background. You can reminisce memories you shared with your spouse by looking at your framed wedding ring.
7. Put Away Your Wedding Ring for Safekeeping
You can decide to stop wearing your wedding ring and at the same time, you are not ready to discard it. There's nothing wrong with this as you can simply put your wedding ring in a safe place. This way you know you won't lose it or get it damaged. Keeping your wedding ring in a safe deposit box is a very good option for safekeeping.
These 7 tips are suggestions for what you can do with your wedding ring. Choosing what to do with your wedding ring is a decision that is up to you. These suggestions are for guidance if you can't think of what to do with your wedding ring. They can help you make a decision that suits you and feels right for you. Take good time and carefully consider all your options before concluding.