Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's common. Studies have shown that women who remarry quickly usually had rather unhappy previous marriages. The opposite is true for men. Men who had unhappy marriages don't remarry. Men who had happy marriages do.

Yes! It seems like the men who were happily married are the most loathe to be alone.

+1 You know that old saying that "men are fixers"? It feels like it's an application of this notion. Wife dies--I'm so sad and lonely! I have to fix this! I'll start hanging out with Betty.

Anonymous wrote:My father was off on a tropical vacation with my mother's friend about 6 weeks after mom's death. He declared it his best vacation ever, including all the ones he took with us kids.

Was that aberrant behavior for him or is he typically self centered and casually cruel?

Anonymous wrote:It's common. Studies have shown that women who remarry quickly usually had rather unhappy previous marriages. The opposite is true for men. Men who had unhappy marriages don't remarry. Men who had happy marriages do.

Yes! It seems like the men who were happily married are the most loathe to be alone.

Let's remember that there is a population of older women who are more than happy to pick up the widower ASAP. It's not only the man who raises eyebrows sometimes.

Anonymous wrote:He had had the new girlfriend on deck for awhile. If not more than on deck.

People always underestimate the elderly, lol.

OP here.

That thought had actually crossed my mind. I have even thought of the possibility that the new lady may have come to the funeral and mingled with and talked to family after the service.

He had had the new girlfriend on deck for awhile. If not more than on deck.

People always underestimate the elderly, lol.

So, so common for widowed men. FIL had a new girlfriend within a month of MIL passing, and they'd been married almost 50 years. Married 6 months later. I agree with PPs that it means the person just can't fathom being alone. Doesn't make it any easier on the kids who are still mourning the lost parent, though.

And yeah, watching this dynamic play out is why DH and I went and put our assets in trusts, one in my name and one in his. No matter which of us goes first, and what the surviving spouse does afterward, at least half of our assets are protected for OUR kids. I am perfectly fine with DH marrying again if I die first, but I don't want his second wife's kids to get my share of our earnings. He can use the money for himself, but he can't leave it to anyone other than our kids.

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine, but this is why you have to be absolutely sure to protect your assets for your kids to inherit. Because otherwise they will go to some random lady’s kids instead of yours.

But you won’t believe how many people are dumb or evil enough to not make sure of protecting their kids.

Anonymous wrote:My sister hooked up with my mother's long-term boyfriend after mom was paralyzed by a stroke and had to living in a nursing home.

Did mom leave any inheritance and who did it go to?
I am sorry, it’s a sad story

I don’t care about girlfriends but all these serial husbands and wives - I just can’t get behind it.
I myself is a second ex wife and I would never do this to my kid. I had to settle for a man with a child, I own it, but it’s just not good.

My sister hooked up with my mother's long-term boyfriend after mom was paralyzed by a stroke and had to living in a nursing home.

Some men cannot be alone. He sounds like one of them.

Anonymous wrote:My father was off on a tropical vacation with my mother's friend about 6 weeks after mom's death. He declared it his best vacation ever, including all the ones he took with us kids.

Ugh sorry.

It's very common, though it can feel hurtful to family members left behind. It sounds like he took good care of her while she was alive. For all we know, she might have wanted him to find companionship again after she died! But either way, he's acting typically for a widower.

It's common. Studies have shown that women who remarry quickly usually had rather unhappy previous marriages. The opposite is true for men. Men who had unhappy marriages don't remarry. Men who had happy marriages do.