After the hardship and sorrow of losing a spouse, many widowers and widows have found joy and purpose in spending extended time with their adult children and grandchildren. Inviting their widowed parents to share in the daily life of their home and family is one practical way that children can honor their bereaved parents while caring for their physical limitations, if needed. Here are some practical reasons and suggestions that may be helpful for adult children to comfort a parent who is facing the reality of a departed spouse.

Widows and Widowers Need Companionship

Companionship is one of the most basic of human needs, both on the spiritual as well as the emotional level. In the Garden of Eden, God proclaimed, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). After the death of a spouse and many years of delightful companionship, a widow or widower can often be lonely and long for others to share their lives. 

Who is better suited to meet this need than a son or daughter who shares a love for the departed father or mother? Parents often find delightful comfort in the companionship of a son or daughter. Sometimes, a lone parent may rotate visits between adult children and their families so that all can share the blessings and burdens alike, as they have the availability and means to do so. Some families have found many joys in dividing the year up among the grown children and allowing the widowed parent to spend time with each.

Widows and Widowers Need Responsibilities

A common error is to assume that relaxation and ease are the ultimate goals of life. God created mankind to work, even before the fall in the Garden of Eden. Responsibilities are good for all of us. These duties sharpen the mind. Daily tasks give us purpose in life, and the completion of a job well done at the end of a day provides a sense of reward and accomplishment. 

This truth applies also to widows and widowers. Often, adult children and grandchildren want to relieve their aging loved ones of all duties. However, this might be a serious mistake. Many elderly people would welcome the opportunity to help with household chores or home repairs, care for younger children, teach older grandchildren various skills, or even to assist in meal preparation. As the Lord gives opportunity, have a conversation with your bereaved parent about what duties or responsibilities he or she might find fulfilling and desire to do to help meet a need.

Widows and Widowers Need an Opportunity to Invest in the Next Generation

One of the chief benefits of a son or daughter providing a home for a widowed parent is that this grandfather or grandmother then has the privilege of investing daily in the lives of the next generation. So many Scripture verses emphasize the importance of passing on the faith to our children and our children’s children. 

The psalmist in Psalm 128:5-6 described the blessing of Jehovah upon the righteous: “The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.” One of the practical ways this verse may be fulfilled daily in your own living room is to invite a widowed parent to take an active role in the blessings that can flow from generation to generation.