“I am a widow now.” I kept telling myself. What do I do next? It began to set in that I am now responsible for everything. All the decisions are mine and mine alone for my children and me. I no longer had the husband that took care of so many of our needs. Truly frightened me. Anxiety set in.

One of the more challenging aspects of the “new normal” as a widow was wrapping my arms around our family finances. I vividly remember walking into my bank branch with my brother. We sat across the desk from a very personable branch manager that asked with a beautiful smile, “How can I help you today, Karen?” It was very hard to say the words and hear them outloud. “Don passed away last week. How does that affect our bank accounts?” I tearfully shared. She was stunned and almost speechless. I will never forget how she baby stepped me through those early days.

As I recall this memory and the anxiety surrounding it, I found a few helpful websites that may help the widow/widower take the next steps.

https://www.moneytips.com/8-important-steps-for-widows-and-widowers-to-take

https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/personal-finance/8-financial-tips-for-widows