A few years after her father died, Jane asked her mother if she would consider dating. "She said �I'm not really interested in that,'" Jane recalls. And while Jane finds herself relieved in some ways�� she doesn't have to worry about some other man trying to replace her father or interfering with a great mother-daughter relationship�� sometimes, as an only child, she wishes there was someone else her mother could rely on.
Many once-married women prefer to stay single. Widows like Jane's mom can take many years to grieve their loss, and when the pain subsides, they sometimes find they've grown accustomed to a life surrounded by friends, adult children and grandchildren and feel little need for a partner. Some divorced women don't want to enter into another potentially unhappy relationship.
If your mom says a man won't fix her life, try to help her discover what will ensure she's not lonely. If she's open to it, help her seek out new activities she could do with you or with friends.