ORTHODOX HOUSE
All churches
Sign in
☦ Today Wednesday, September 23 / September 10 (old style) 🍇 Wine and oil allowed Gregorian calendar ⇄
Conception of St John the Baptist
← News feed Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)

The wife died. Loneliness is hard. How to establish contact with children and grandchildren?translated

September 23, 2026 · 1 min read

Reader question:

My wife died of cancer 2.5 months ago. Daughters and granddaughters live separately. The granddaughters almost never call or visit, although they were attached to their grandmother: she fed them delicious food, helped them with their homework, spent time with them, went shopping, bought something, gave them a little money, often called them and their daughters on the phone. Now that she is gone, they have nothing to talk to me about. I cannot give them all this except money, for which they politely thank me and forget me. The youngest daughter calls often, but she is far away. The eldest rarely, although she is nearby: she comes only on business and for a short time, trying to leave quickly, she does not even offer to cook food. While I go to work and am somehow distracted, the work is physical, and while working, I still think about my departed wife and my loneliness. When I come home to a lonely apartment, I feel sadness and pain from the loss of my wife and my entire previous way of life.

Yuri

Priest's answer:

Priest Victor NIKISHOV

God bless you!

You write that now that your wife is gone, your granddaughters have nothing to talk about with you. In my opinion, based on what you wrote, the granddaughters were attached to their grandmother not only because she fed them and gave them...

Source: Журнал ФОМА  ·  Read the full story →
⚑ Report
💬 Comments (2) 🌐 Show original
I
Ioana Stan
Юрий, I'm sorry for the loss of your wife. I also went through this 11 years ago and I know how that heavy silence leaves the house in the evening. Maybe try offering your nieces something concrete, like "let's go to the market on Saturday and buy what you like", instead of money. Make them a simple chicken soup like your wife used to make and invite them to eat together, without waiting for them to propose.
Г
Георгий Новиков
Юрий, у меня тоже жена ушла три года назад, и первые месяцы дома после смены просто давили. Ты пишешь, что бабушка их кормила, уроки делала и по магазинам водила — может, попробуй взять на себя хотя бы одно такое дело, например, предложи старшей дочери: «Давай в субботу я внучек заберу, вместе суп сварю, как бабушка варила». Не деньги, а именно вместе что-то сделать. Младшая хоть звонит часто — уже хорошо, держись за это.
Sign in to join the conversation →
More stories
Saints, Feasts, and Readings for 9/23/2026
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople · September 23, 2026
The library of the Novosibirsk Orthodox Theological Seminary has been enriched with new editions – News – Novosibirsk Metropolitan Diocese
Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) · September 23, 2026
Protodeacon Andrei Romashko greeted the participants of the "Young Firefighters Games" – News – Novosibirsk Metropolitanate
Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) · September 23, 2026
In Berezsk, the memory of fallen soldiers of the SVO was honored – News – Novosibirsk Metropolitanate
Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) · September 23, 2026
🔑Sign in 📖Prayer Book 🕊Live Prayer 📨Submit news 👥Friends 💬Groups My parish 🕯Virtual church 🙏Prayers by agreement 🗓Calendar Lives of the Saints ✏️Catechesis 🔔Notifications My subscriptions 🛍Store 💬Support