Although a new love might physically replace the previous one, from a psychological viewpoint, the widow will now love two people at the same time. Her love expresses the nonexclusive nature of love more than it does its replaceable nature. Thus, one widow writes: Second love is different, but its very good.

Do widowers ever move on?

To some degree, most widowers whose late wife had a protracted illness, tend to date faster and move on faster. If a spouse/partner is lost to suicide, a widower tends to have more guilt although, regardless of how the person died, the grieving process is the same.